National Smile Month
A shocking number of people have admitted to sharing a toothbrush, with even more admitting they would consider doing the same.
Almost one in ten (9.7 per cent) said they had shared a toothbrush, and even more said they would consider doing it if they needed to (11 per cent).
The research, conducted as part of National Smile Month, also discovered other oral health practices leave a lot to be desired. One in five people said they had used their finger to brush their teeth, one in ten said they had used something other than toothpaste to clean their teeth with and almost two in five said they had only rinsed their mouth out with water instead of brushing their teeth.
Perhaps more surprisingly, one in seven of still use household items such as business cards, credit cards and earrings to clean in-between their teeth.
More than 2,000 people were questioned as part of the nation’s annual reminder about the importance of oral health, National Smile Month. The campaign, which runs from 19 May to 19 June, encourages everyone to brush their teeth for two minutes twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, cut down on how often they have sugary foods and drinks and to visit their dentist regularly, as often as they recommend.
Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter OBE, explained why people should avoid cutting corners with their oral hygiene routine, particularly when it comes to sharing a toothbrush.
Dr Carter said: “Sharing a toothbrush leaves people susceptible to all sorts of oral and general health problems. Just because you kiss a partner or occasionally share a fork or spoon during mealtimes with them does not justify using their toothbrush too.
“This is because brushing sometimes causes the gums to bleed, which exposes everyone you share your toothbrush with to blood stream diseases. Therefore, by sharing a toothbrush, the couples are actually sharing blood, which is a lot more risky than just sharing saliva.
“There are many hundreds of different bacteria and viruses in our mouths and people sharing a toothbrush could be passing these on to others. While this might be something relatively harmless, such as a common cold or cold sore, if the person you are sharing with is infected with hepatitis B or HIV these could also be passed on via the toothbrush with life threatening consequences.”
Instead of sharing a toothbrush, Dr Carter offered some advice on how to maintain your toothbrush to get the very best out of it.
“People need to take good care of their toothbrush, changing it once every three months,” Dr Carter added.
“They may seem like a rather insignificant tool but they form a crucial part of our daily routine and although most toothbrushes are used twice a day for months on end, they are rarely cleaned thoroughly and are often kept in warm, moist conditions, ideal for bacterial growth.
“Perhaps it is considered an unnecessary expense but changing your toothbrush, or the head of an electric toothbrush, is actually very cheap. To spend £8 a year for four toothbrushes is nothing compared to losing a day off work and spending large amounts of money on preventable dental work, unnecessary prescriptions or over the counter medicines due to poor oral health.
“My advice would be after three months to buy a new toothbrush and begin to re-use the old brush for alternative household chores. When it is completely worn out then recycle it.”
Almost one in ten (9.7 per cent) said they had shared a toothbrush, and even more said they would consider doing it if they needed to (11 per cent).
The research, conducted as part of National Smile Month, also discovered other oral health practices leave a lot to be desired. One in five people said they had used their finger to brush their teeth, one in ten said they had used something other than toothpaste to clean their teeth with and almost two in five said they had only rinsed their mouth out with water instead of brushing their teeth.
Perhaps more surprisingly, one in seven of still use household items such as business cards, credit cards and earrings to clean in-between their teeth.
More than 2,000 people were questioned as part of the nation’s annual reminder about the importance of oral health, National Smile Month. The campaign, which runs from 19 May to 19 June, encourages everyone to brush their teeth for two minutes twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, cut down on how often they have sugary foods and drinks and to visit their dentist regularly, as often as they recommend.
Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter OBE, explained why people should avoid cutting corners with their oral hygiene routine, particularly when it comes to sharing a toothbrush.
Dr Carter said: “Sharing a toothbrush leaves people susceptible to all sorts of oral and general health problems. Just because you kiss a partner or occasionally share a fork or spoon during mealtimes with them does not justify using their toothbrush too.
“This is because brushing sometimes causes the gums to bleed, which exposes everyone you share your toothbrush with to blood stream diseases. Therefore, by sharing a toothbrush, the couples are actually sharing blood, which is a lot more risky than just sharing saliva.
“There are many hundreds of different bacteria and viruses in our mouths and people sharing a toothbrush could be passing these on to others. While this might be something relatively harmless, such as a common cold or cold sore, if the person you are sharing with is infected with hepatitis B or HIV these could also be passed on via the toothbrush with life threatening consequences.”
Instead of sharing a toothbrush, Dr Carter offered some advice on how to maintain your toothbrush to get the very best out of it.
“People need to take good care of their toothbrush, changing it once every three months,” Dr Carter added.
“They may seem like a rather insignificant tool but they form a crucial part of our daily routine and although most toothbrushes are used twice a day for months on end, they are rarely cleaned thoroughly and are often kept in warm, moist conditions, ideal for bacterial growth.
“Perhaps it is considered an unnecessary expense but changing your toothbrush, or the head of an electric toothbrush, is actually very cheap. To spend £8 a year for four toothbrushes is nothing compared to losing a day off work and spending large amounts of money on preventable dental work, unnecessary prescriptions or over the counter medicines due to poor oral health.
“My advice would be after three months to buy a new toothbrush and begin to re-use the old brush for alternative household chores. When it is completely worn out then recycle it.”
1 comment:
What happened to common sense!!!...
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