Poor oral health is stopping us showing our teeth in photos, survey reveals
While many of us are more than happy to smile for the camera, we are not so keen to show our teeth in pictures, according to a new nationwide poll from the Oral Health Foundation and Oral-B.
29% of participants said they are likely to pose for a photograph with an open mouth smile, with 33% of people saying that discoloured teeth are the biggest reason behind this. 55% of UK adults also admitted that they only brush their teeth once a day.
Dr Carter OBE, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation, said that “Discoloured and crooked teeth are two of the biggest reasons identified for the lack of toothy smiles but thankfully addressing these and taking care of our oral health is quite simple. As long as we brush our teeth for two minutes twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, cut down on how often we eat sugary foods and drinks, and visit the dentist regularly, as often as they recommend, we can help address major oral health problems.”
“While most of us do choose to smile for a photo (75%) most of us are opting not to show our teeth. Interestingly, the research has also revealed that women are far more likely smile for a photo than men; with more than 80% going for a grin compared to 68% of men,” he continued.
Dr Carter went on to note that “A smile is an incredibly powerful tool and is worth remembering it is one we all possess; a simple smile can make others around you feel at ease, it’s highly contagious and plays such an important role in our lives that we should make our oral health top priority, it saddens us that not everyone has the confidence to show theirs off to its full potential.
