Lockdown forces Brits to become their own DIY dentists

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted oral health: in addition to fuelling unhealthy eating and drinking habits Brits have turned to going online to fix their own dental problems with a quarter admitting that they had done this.

New research from the Oral Health Foundation and Colgate showed that over half of Brits have admitted to neglecting their teeth during lockdown with around one-in-six (16%) brushing their teeth once a day.

When it comes to seeing the dentist, the research showed that almost one-in-five (18%) hadn’t seen a dentist for over two years, not just because of lockdown. However, during lockdown, a third (36%) suffered toothache and a quarter (26%) went online to look for information to try and fix their own oral health problem.

Aston spoke to Dr Ben Atkins, president of the Oral Health Foundation to discuss the research in further detail.

Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash