Americans Score Badly at Dental Hygiene

The American Dental association has released a new survey according to which the Americans really need to reconsider their dental hygiene habits, because the results are disappointing.

People were asked to respond to some questions in a survey which was later published on MouthHeath.org. The average score of the respondents was a D grade, which is quite bad.

Participants in the survey had to answer yes or no questions such as whether they knew how often should they brush the teeth, is flossing important or whether they are aware of the foods that cause cavities. Bad answers, and bad survey outcome…

The ADA president Mr. William R. Carlton said he was literally shocked by the results, and he states that Americans really need to become a lot more aware regarding the important of good oral hygiene.

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research has released the results of another study according to which a huge number of American adults between the ages of 20 and 64 do struggle with untreated caries in their permanent teeth. Then, about 50% of kids between 2 and 11 have baby cavities in their temporary teeth.

The national survey mentioned earlier was conducted by ADA in May this year, and here are some of the further findings:

- ADA recommends brushing your teeth two times per day: in the morning and in the evening. A whooping 90% of the respondents said people should brush their teeth after each meal

- 80%+ of the respondents said that cavities are caused by sugar. This is only partially true. The dental cavities are basically caused by the bacteria that “eat” away the sugar and produce harmful acids that attack the structure of the tooth. If you rinse your mouth with water every time you eat a sugary treat, the bacteria will not ne able to feed on those sugars stuck on the teeth, and thus acid will not be produced (or not produced in such amounts as to be harmful for the tooth structure)

- About 75% of the respondents do not know when it is the correct time to take the child for the first time to the dentist. The ADA strongly recommends that a baby should be taken for a checkup within 6 months after the first tooth erupts.

- Quite surprisingly, 65% of the respondents think their toothbrush should be changed twice a year (every six months). The ADA clearly recommends that toothbrushes should be replaced every three months, which means 4 times per year.

- About 60% of the respondents do not know that dental cavities can be transmitted from one person to the other