Aussies are notoriously laid-back, and as it turns out, we’re just as relaxed when it comes to our dental habits.
A new study commissioned by has revealed that the nation is surprisingly undisciplined with its oral health regime. After comparing the oral health habits of Australians and the British, the Galaxy Research upturns the long-held stereotype of Brits having terrible dental hygiene - rather, it is Aussies who are falling short of dentistry standards.
While 63 per cent of Australians still believe their British counterparts have questionable chompers, a third of the population admit to only brushing their teeth once a day, and only a quarter use electric toothbrushes (compared to 40 per cent of the British).
Our visits to the dentist are also less frequent - 51 per cent of the British have visited a dentist in the past six months, compared to just one in every three Australians.
This study is not alone in its findings - a World Health Organisation (WHO) study supports claims that our dental hygiene is well below par, revealing that Australia has more decayed, missing and filled teeth than nine other countries, including England.
Sydney dentist and Oral-B expert Dr Christopher Ho says the solution to our declining teeth is simple: “Aussies are renowned for being laid-back and perhaps too laid-back when it comes to oral care. If Australians can improve their complacency by upgrading to a power brush, brushing for two minutes twice a day and remembering to floss, we can improve the state of our nation’s oral health.”
Both nations agree on the importance of oral health, but our friends overseas are ahead of the game in terms of everyday oral care habits.
