Smile and the world smiles with you as the saying goes, but for more than a quarter of Brits who are unhappy with their smiles this may not be the case.
New research by the British Dental Health Foundation and Invisalign shows that for more than a quarter (27 per cent) of us who are unhappy with our smiles, it has a detrimental effect on confidence and relationships.
Three quarters of people said their confidence would improve if they had a better smile, and almost half (44 per cent) reveal that being unhappy with their smile keeps their confidence low. Perhaps surprisingly one in ten say it has affected their relationships.
Almost three in four (70 per cent) say they are so unhappy with their smile, they never smile in photos, and rather surprisingly it’s the guys more so than the girls who can’t stand to see a photo of themselves with their teeth on show.
What’s more, one in three men (34 per cent) say they retouch every selfie compared with only one in eight (13 per cent) of females.
In an age where over one million selfies are taken every day and everyone from your best friend to politicians taking one, Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter OBE, explained how to get and keep a healthy smile.
Dr Carter said: “Improving our smile is something that can be done at any age and with the emotional and proven health benefits of having a healthy smile clear, it’s never too late to do something about yours.
“It can be the first thing you notice about a person, and it certainly creates a good first impression. That is why getting the basics right can go a long way.
“Brushing for two minutes twice a day using a fluoride toothpaste, cutting down on how often you eat and drink sugary foods and drinks and visiting your dentist regularly, as often as they recommend, will help develop good oral health. Other habits such as chewing sugar-free gum after meals and using interdental brushes can also improve your oral health.”
Jamie Morley, UK & Ireland General Manager at Invisalign added: “Working with over 2.5 million people worldwide to transform their smiles, Invisalign is dedicated to improving oral health. There is a wealth of evidence that non-invasive treatments are becoming more popular as people seek to improve their smiles and their oral health.”
Posted on the News section of the British Dental Health Foundation Website
Oral Health Foundation
The Oral Health Foundation is a charity that works to improve oral health by providing education, advice, and support to millions of people every year, changing lives for the better. Our mission is to support others in achieving a healthier life through better oral health. Our vision is to live in a world where everybody has a healthy mouth and is free of dental disease. Poor oral health can have a harmful and devastating effect on a person’s life – both for their physical health and mental wellbeing. We are determined to help more people achieve good oral health and have a better quality of life. Sadly, oral disease remains common, across the life course. We are taking the challenge to reduce the harm caused by poor oral health and the responsibility to create a healthier future for everybody. We do this because we believe that everybody deserves to have good oral health. To make sure this happens, by 2024, we will:
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• Work towards decreasing the prevalence of oral disease across communities.
• Increase the number of people accessing our help and information services.
• Diversify our range of resources to reach more communities.
• Successfully campaign for policies which help people achieve healthier lives.
• Generate new and nurture existing income streams that enable us to deliver our charitable objectives.
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• Running awareness campaigns like National Smile Month and Mouth Cancer Action Month.
• Giving anybody who needs it direct support through our Dental Helpline.
• Influencing policy on subjects like dental access, sugar, and tobacco.
• Providing consumer advice on oral health care products and working alongside manufacturers to make sure products do what they claim to do.
• Creating resources and information that communicates positive oral health messages.
• Working alongside others who share our passion for health and wellbeing.
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