02 March 2021

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Pandemic impacts UK oral health

Author: Katherine Pfaff

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Across the Atlantic, UK patients also reported a change in dental health habits. More than half (55%) of adult Britons said they had not taken care of their teeth properly, according to a study by the Oral Health Foundation and Colgate. Patients had not been brushing their teeth as much as pre-lockdown (15%), and some had not been brushing twice a day (19%).

Diets also changed, with 20% of patients reporting their food choices were less healthy, and 11% reported they were drinking more alcohol. Perhaps more concerning, 36% of patients reported tooth pain during the lockdown, with 9% of those having pain for more than two weeks. Nearly 18% of those involved in the research had not been to a dentist in more than 2 years.

“Since coronavirus, it has been easy to get into the mindset that your health is not completely within your control,” said Nigel Carter, OBE, and CEO of Oral Health Foundation. “There are, however, elements of your health that you do have full authority over. One of these is the health of the mouth.”

For more information contact:
Oral Health Foundation
Dental Helpline: +44(0) 1788 539 780
Email: mail@dentalhealth.org