More than half (61%) of Irish say they are disgusted by other people’s bad breath caused by plaque.
A nationwide survey conducted by Oral-B also noted that seven out of 10 (67%) people don’t check their own plaque levels. In fact, 91% of Irish people don’t even know how.
Unfortunately, this means a drastic plaque rise throughout Ireland. More than half (55%) of the population already have at least one cavity or filling, while more than a fifth (29%) of us have five fillings or more.
Despite the tooth trauma, only 14% of Irish cite plaque as their top oral health concern and a fifth of Irish are only brushing their teeth once a day.
On top of this, 23% of Irish never floss their teeth, with 22% only flossing ‘when something is stuck in them’.
The survey also found that 83% of Irish still haven’t upgraded to an electric toothbrush, and 11% of the population say they haven’t been to the dentist in more than five years.
And yet, the survey notes that nearly 88% of Irish believe their teeth could look better; one in two prefer to be complimented on their smile over their hair or style, with an even split across men and women.
