In case you didn't know already, it's National Smile Month, and sponsors Oral B have done a bit of research into the dental hygiene habits of the average Irish person, with some worrying findings popping up suggesting that a lot of us are not all that disciplined when it comes to brushing.
It seems that nearly a quarter (24%) of Irish adults skip brushing their teeth on a weekly basis, which will not make your dentist happy. However, the majority of us (75%) say that they would be wary of bad breath if we'd forgotten to brush, and 22% of us would be reluctant to smile as a result.
Skipping brushing is bad news for your teeth, according to Oral-B Smile Director (a happy sounding title), Dr. Uchenna Okoye, who said "one morning without brushing might not cause a cavity, but the acid collected on the tooth surface may be enough to break down your enamel. Breakfast time often means acidic foods such as oranges, grapefruit and fruit juices which can soften the enamel on your teeth. Brushing before breakfast is ideal but if you forget, wait an hour afterwards to give your saliva a chance to neutralise the acid. Brushing your teeth straight after a meal can wear away the enamel which is softened by the acid".
Other findings include that 1 in 3 of us have shared a toothbrush (not very hygienic either) and that a fair amount of us are interested in getting the "perfect" smile, with 22% having tried whitening products at home in order to give our pearly whites a makeover.
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When it came to famous smiles, Julia Roberts was named as the best female celebrity smile, with 30% of Irish adults believing she has the perfect smile, while George Clooney won the male vote with 38%. We did have a representative on the list in the form of our own Amy Huberman, who was just behind Julia with 21% of the vote.
Are you guilty of skipping brushing, and if so, what's the reason for it? And is it worse than skipping the face wash?
Main pic via William Warby/Flickr
