Some Bad News, Some Good News
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- Published: Friday, 09 July 2021 10:04
- Written by Chris Tapper
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One-in-four British adults brush their teeth once a day according to new research by the Oral Health Foundation.
New research has revealed an alarming lack of knowledge about the causes of dental decay amongst adult patients.
The Oral Health Foundation and Colgate-Palmolive have released new data which shows that one in three adults weren’t aware that ‘brushing teeth’ could help prevent the risk of decay.
Even more worrying, more than one-in-four adults (26%) did not know that ‘high carbohydrate’ diets can be responsible for higher caries risks.
The omnibus survey also showed that over half of the respondents (54%) didn’t associate ‘regular dental appointments’ with a lower caries risk.
Meanwhile, in the good news, the OHF found that a number of Brits DID take the opportunity during the pandemic to build better oral health habits.
In another recent survey, the charity found that one-in-five (20%) adults say are brushing for longer.
The OHF said “This is especially good news as, on average, research shows that adults brushing their teeth for what they believe is two minutes, is as low as 54 seconds.”
“At a time when NHS dentistry is struggling to deal with the backlog of patients caused by the pandemic this is very welcome news.”
The study found that adults are cleaning in between their teeth more often (18%), and 14% of respondents were committed to using mouthwash more regularly.
The Oral Health Foundation and Colgate-Palmolive said that younger adults are around six times less likely than those over 55 to understand the benefits of toothbrushing in reducing caries risk.
“In the UK, it is estimated that just under one-in-three adults suffer from caries, a problem which the charity believe has been exacerbated during the pandemic.”The Oral Health Foundation said “Dental caries is one of the most chronic diseases in the world and is estimated to affect around 2.3 billion people globally.”
The OHF is now calling on dental professionals to help raise awareness of dental caries amongst patients in order to improve the oral health of the nation.
More encouragingly, the majority of young adults says they would like to receive more oral health information in between appointments, especially by email.
The OHF said “Despite its prevalence, many remain unaware of the circumstances that could lead them being at higher risk or understand how they can prevent the disease from occurring.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, there was also a lack of awareness around the other major risk factors of caries, including older age, a dry mouth, and a history of oral health restorations.
Dr Emanuele Cotroneo, Scientific Affairs Project Manager at Colgate, is concerned that without a good basic understanding of the risk factors of tooth decay many Brits will struggle to take control of their oral health.
Dr Cotroneo said “What this new survey data shows is a clear need for education amongst patients. Patients could be missing out on simple but really effective ways to minimise their risk of developing dental caries but are simply unaware of how their lifestyle choices are impacting their oral health.”
The survey’s findings are part of the charity’s The Truth About Tooth Decay – an online hub, created in partnership with Colgate-Palmolive.
The platform hosts educational material for patients around dental caries. The site also includes a dedicated area for dental professionals with tips and tools for educating patients about the symptoms and risk factors for developing decay.
The investigation also showed that it is younger people aged 18-to-24 that have the weakest knowledge when it comes to dental caries and were far less likely to know that brushing could prevent caries, than the over-55’s.
While young people seem to be least knowledgeable when it comes to dental caries, they are also the keenest to receive oral health information in between appointments.
Dr Ben Atkins, President of the Oral Health Foundation believes the results of this survey have highlighted a knowledge gap that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.
Dr Atkins said “Certainly when it comes to caries, it is clear from this research that more work needs to be done to educate younger adults, both regarding prevention and what is likely to put them at higher risk. Despite this, it is encouraging that most young people are keen to learn more about this area of their health and wellbeing. It presents dental professionals with a tremendous opportunity to engage with this audience, who we know are more likely to skip brushing and regular dental visits.
“Dental professionals are in a great position to help patients of all ages better understand their oral health. This education can not only be done in the dental chair, it can also be done digitally on social media and through e-communications.”
“The latter has become increasingly important given the restrictions from the pandemic. Digital learning is likely to play a key role in delivering the prevention aspects of the new dental contract.”
For more information, and to check out The Truth About Tooth Decay online hub, click here.
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