Now we are all, you could say, painfully aware of the importance of oral and dental hygiene. Particularly if we have recently paid a trip to our friendly neighbourhood dentist. So we recently caught up with Jordan Kennedy and Bartholomew Walsh the young guns behind Ordo, the revolutionary new dental subscription service, which aims to do for electric toothbrushes what Harry’s has done for the common and humble razor, for them to give us some literally crazy facts about our dental hygiene. Did you know;
• One in four adults admit they don’t brush twice a day, including a third of men.
• One in ten admit they regularly forget to brush their teeth.
• 42% of adults use just a toothbrush and toothpaste for their oral care.
• Only 31% of adults use mouthwash.
• The plaque found on your teeth is home to more than 300 different species of bacteria.
• The average person spends about 48 seconds per day brushing their teeth, but dentists recommend at least 2 or 3 minutes.
• 6 is the magic number–magic number of feet away from your toilet you should store your toothbrush in order to avoid airborne particles from toilet flushing making their way to your bristles.
• At least 3 out of 4 Americans suffer from some form of periodontal gum disease, which is the leading cause of tooth loss for people over the age of 35. The good news: Gum disease can be prevented and controlled!
• 50% of people surveyed say that a person’s smile is the first physical trait they notice.
• Sports-related injuries account for approximately 5 million missing teeth per year, Americans spend $100 billion per year on hair care products – and only $2 billion a year on dental care products. What good is great hair without a great smile?
• Shockingly less than a quarter of adults use dental floss or interdental brushes regularly.
• One in three people have NEVER flossed their teeth.
• The UK spends £5.8 billion a year on dental treatments.
• Brushing only once a day means your 33% more likely to develop tooth decay.
• Over four-fifths of the population have at least one filling.
• 31% of adults have tooth decay.
• Only 9% of men and 11% of women have oral health which is classed as excellent.
• 66% have visible plaque.
• 29% of us suffer from regular dental pain.
• Nearly half the population are unhappy with their teeth (48%) with discoloured teeth (64 per cent) the main reason for being unhappy.
• Mouth cancer is the 10th most common cancer in men in the UK and 15th most common in women
