Are children’s teeth suffering due to hygiene poverty?

Hygiene poverty means not being able to afford many of the basic hygiene and personal grooming products many take for granted. The reality of having a low income is it restricts many people’s options, leaving them caught between being able to pay their rent, eat or be clean.

According to figures from The Hygiene Bank, over 4.2 million people in the UK are living in hygiene poverty. Since 2022, the cost-of-living crisis and the inflation crisis has pushed over a million more people into hygiene poverty.

The study from The Hygiene Bank has found a direct link between hygiene poverty and children’s oral health with nearly a third (29%) of parents reporting changes or a reduction in the quality of dental care products for their children due to financial constraints in the last year.

Aston spoke to Meri Jimenez, head of communications at The Hygiene Bank.