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42 per cent of Irish adults "are missing teeth"

Plus, more than half of Irish adults surveyed said that the biggest barrier to visiting the dentist is the cost.

MORE THAN HALF of adults in Europe don’t have all of their own teeth, according to a new survey.

The pan-European survey was released by GSK and Wrigley and surveyed 3,500 Europeans. Of these, 70 per cent said they were happy with their dental health, but half said they don’t have all of their natural teeth.

When it comes to Ireland, Irish respondents admitted to less frequent tooth brushing, with 84 per cent not brushing their teeth or flossing after meals compared to EU figures.

Plus, 25 per cent of Irish people said they eat between brushing their teeth and going to sleep “most of the time”.

Dentist

When it comes to visiting the dentist every year, 40 per cent of respondents said that cost was the main reason for not going.

In Ireland, 52 per cent of people said this, followed by people in the UK (50 per cent), Poland (50 per cent), and Italy and Spain (48 per cent each).

Cost was less of a concern in Germany and France, where only 20 per cent of respondents felt that the cost of visiting the dentist was prohibitive.

Just over half of Irish respondents see a dentist once a year (lower than EU average 70 per cent) and 30 per cent less than every 2 years or never. The same amount said they take their children to the dentist regularly.

The most important aspect to dental health and hygiene was seen by Irish and EU respondents as “keeping your natural teeth”.

Smiles

What country in Europe was most concerned about their smiles? The Spanish – 66 per cent ranked a healthy smile as a priority, compared to just 33 per cent in France, the lowest of all European countries.

While 81 per cent of those surveyed said that keeping all of their natural teeth was their top oral health priority, only 49 per cent actually had all of their natural teeth.

Of the countries surveyed, Poland scored particularly low in this area, with 70 per cent of Polish respondents reporting that they were missing at least one of their natural teeth.

Oral healthcare

  • Teeth brushing

Over 80 per cent of participants said they believed regular teeth brushing helps prevent cavities and dental plaque. But did they act on this? Well, 32 per cent reported brushing their teeth fewer than the recommended two times per day.

  • Sugar-free chewing gum

When it comes to chewing sugar-free gum, 74 per cent of survey participants did not associate it with oral health benefits, even though sugar-free chewing gum has been proven to help neutralise plaque acids.

  • Flossing and mouthwash

Flossing, which is also beneficial to oral health, was underutilised, with 36 per cent of respondents saying they never flossed, even though close to 60 per cent saw flossing as key to helping prevent gum infections.

While over half of people said they understood mouthwash’s value in preventing dental plaque and gum infections, 63 per cent said that they don’t use it daily.

  • Diet

A healthy, balanced diet is essential to good oral health. Survey participants reported having a strong understanding of things that have a positive impact on dental health (eg vegetables, dairy products and water), and those that have a negative impact (eg smoking, etc).

Dr Andrew Bolas, President of the Irish Dental Association, concluded:

Cavities and gum diseases are easily preventable by a healthy and balanced diet combined with regular dental check-ups and routine hygiene practices, including proper brushing and the use of fluoride-containing toothpaste, inter-dental cleaning, chewing sugar-free chewing gum after meals and snacking, and getting regular dental check-ups. These simple tools could improve Europeans’ oral and overall health quickly and cost-effectively.

Read: Don’t overbrush your teeth, say dentists>

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38 Comments
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    Mute Stephen Patton
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    Sep 12th 2012, 10:50 AM

    Reading this from the dentists waiting room :-(

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    Mute Ciaran Foster
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    Sep 12th 2012, 11:27 AM

    So by the time u read this yer prob a whack out of pocket. ;-)

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    Mute Stephen Patton
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    Sep 13th 2012, 12:16 AM

    No, I live in the north :-)

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    Mute Kay Tighe
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    Sep 12th 2012, 10:38 AM

    Doesn’t surprise me the prices they charge for fillings and other work really is outrageous

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    Mute reds
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    Sep 12th 2012, 10:28 AM

    I’m 24 and no missing teeth and just one filling, hopefully that’s it now.

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    Mute Stray Mutt
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    Sep 12th 2012, 11:14 AM

    Hi Reds.
    I see many thumbs down.
    I also see much envy at your apparrently healthy teeth.
    Well done

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    Mute reds
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    Sep 12th 2012, 11:20 AM

    Thanks Stray Mutt!

    I don’t know what their problem is (^_^)

    63
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    Mute Ciaran De Bhal
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    Sep 12th 2012, 10:43 AM

    Cost is a huge factor. I can nip over the border into Newry and have fillings or extractions done for less than 2/3,s the price. Orthodontic work is also about 60% cheaper

    53
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    Mute Neil McAuley
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    Sep 12th 2012, 10:35 AM

    Saw on news yesterday that a large number of dentists are providing free check ups next week as part of a campaign to reduce mouth cancer and improve overall dental health.

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    Mute martin farrell
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    Sep 12th 2012, 11:31 AM

    Having a free checkup is great, it’s like getting a mechanic to just look at your car, you still gotta pay for fixing it…

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    Mute Neil McAuley
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    Sep 12th 2012, 11:50 AM

    Martin – so if somebody availed of a free check up (which they might not do if they had to pay) and found out that they had mouth cancer, do u think that would be a good or bad thing?

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    Mute martin farrell
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    Sep 12th 2012, 12:46 PM

    And if they avail of a free check find out(hopefully in 99.999999% of cases) they don’t have mouth cancer, but dentist still has to do a lot of work on their teeth, gums etc. It still has to be paid for if the person wants it to be fixed. End of the day it’s too expensive in this country to regularly go to the dentist and because of that many folk don’t go. Which means their oral health is declining which costs them in the long run.

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    Mute Grouchy Marks
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    Sep 12th 2012, 12:47 PM

    Are you a dentist Neil?

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    Mute Lamb
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    Sep 12th 2012, 1:23 PM

    I know a family of dentists in Poland if anyones needs a holiday.

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    Mute Rusty Balls
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    Sep 12th 2012, 10:54 AM

    I’ve become very suspicious of dentists, I went to one locally earlier this year due to an old filling giving me pain. A few months and four fillings later they still hadn’t touched the one I originally came in with, I assumed it would be done eventually and you tend not to raise too much of a fuss with someone who is sticking metal tools in your mouth. When I did raise the issue it had been forgotten about but fixed eventually, I didn’t have to pay for that one but I left feeling it was just about seen how much they could bleed out of me. Literally.

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    Mute Joan Brennan
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    Sep 12th 2012, 3:51 PM

    I had a very similar experience. Was quoted for one job but the dentist then took it on herself to re-do a lot of fillings, which cost a lot more. And now I feel pain within one new filling where there was none before. That was over three years ago and it put me right off returning.

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    Mute William Grogan
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    Sep 12th 2012, 3:53 PM

    PS If there is a dental hospital near you try them. Much cheaper.

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    Mute David Connolly
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    Sep 12th 2012, 10:57 AM

    Went to the dentist with a pain in one back molar, ended up spending so far €1035 and still have 4 more appointments to go to. I had put off visits due to cost and I’m paying for it now. Should have listened when my mother would say”a stitch in time”. Root canal is very painful

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    Mute Cyril Butler
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    Sep 12th 2012, 10:47 AM

    Got all mine back in Turkey had worn dentures since a car accident when I was 14. Far too expensive here.

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    Mute Joy Herron
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    Sep 12th 2012, 11:22 AM

    I need a root canal but I can’t afford it :( secretly I’m hoping it will spontaneously get better before it turns into an abscess induced emergency extraction.

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    Mute William Grogan
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    Sep 12th 2012, 3:53 PM

    Get it down asap.

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    Mute TOT
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    Sep 13th 2012, 4:36 AM

    @joy, I needed a root canal couple years back and kept putting it off because i was quoted $1000 for root canal and a further $1000 for crown and told them there wasn’t a chance I was paying that. It eventually turned into an abscess, I lost bone in my jaw and the pain was the worst ever. I had no choice but get it done in the end:( hope you find a way to get it fixed.

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    Mute Wouter Claessens
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    Sep 12th 2012, 12:05 PM

    This does not really surprise me if you look at the prices for dental care…
    Most people just can’t afford to go to the dentist!

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    Mute Caroline Locke
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    Sep 12th 2012, 2:06 PM

    REDUCE DENTAL FEES AS THEY ARE EXTORTIONATE.That is the only answer.

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    Mute Kim Keoghan
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    Sep 12th 2012, 2:00 PM

    Root canal Ireland – €800+ €20 X-ray + €20 per injection of local . I got everything done in Poland last week for €160 . The X-ray cost me 75cent compared to €20 here . Guess where I’ll be going if I need further treatment .

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    Mute Caroline Locke
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    Sep 12th 2012, 2:07 PM

    Yeah,add the cost of flight ticket and hotel…..where did you save?

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    Mute Joy Herron
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    Sep 12th 2012, 2:32 PM

    I’d doubt she spent over 600 on flights and accom on Poland.

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    Mute Simon Stokes
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    Sep 12th 2012, 4:07 PM

    If you’d shopped around you’d have gotten a more reasonable quote in Ireland, dentists aren’t as busy and are more willing to negotiate. You probably wouldn’t have got it done in Ireland for €160 but when you factor in time off work, flights, accommodation, spending money I’ve no doubt you’d get it done cheaper.

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    Mute Benny benson
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    Sep 12th 2012, 12:15 PM

    I unfortunately have 4 or 5 missing teeth since falling of a bike years ago the cost has prevented me getting them done its very expensive if half the adults in Europe have similar products is it not time for a Ryanair type dental practice

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    Mute Lamb
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    Sep 12th 2012, 1:26 PM

    I know afamily of dentists in Poland who would be happy to sort you out for a fraction of the cost.

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    Mute Kim Keoghan
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    Sep 12th 2012, 4:36 PM

    Yes I shopped around , south & north , cheapest was about €500 before consultation fees , X-rays , anaesthetic . So for less than 500€ I had myself a fantastic visit to a beautiful city & got my tooth fixed . I obviously wouldn’t of flown over for a simple filling but given that I had to shell out money for treatment here , plus take days off for treatment I decided that the trip was well worth it . I’m not saying its for everyone , but it worked for me and I had a lovely holiday , for less than the basic treatment here . And I’d do it again .

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    Mute Kim Keoghan
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    Sep 12th 2012, 2:41 PM

    Flights & 3 nights accom, €210 . You do the Math .

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    Mute Caroline Locke
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    Sep 12th 2012, 5:14 PM

    Wow really now that is a bargain.

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    Mute Mick Lennon
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    Sep 12th 2012, 1:26 PM

    wish Jennifer Aniston was.my.dentist

    17
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    Mute Johan Bergman
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    Sep 12th 2012, 5:15 PM

    The reason dentists charge so much is because of the years spent training, just like solicitors. However do we need dentists that do everything. Can’t we have people for separate, specific areas like cleaning etc. who don’t spend seven years in college and who don’t feel so privileged to charge so much money. Same goes for solicitors too, you go in for standard forms (e.g for a new house) and get charged obscene prices.

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    Mute natasha bardini
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    Sep 12th 2012, 9:30 PM

    Even a clean with the hygienist is 40 euros and up depending on how bad they are

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    Mute Dave Malone
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    Sep 13th 2012, 1:46 AM

    The problem with dental tourism us that a large amount of dental work is done within a short time frame. Also, foreign-based dentists do not necessarily need to comply with the same high standards that are found in the UK & Ireland. There may also be no laws regulating the foreign dentist’s practice. So who picks up the pieces when things go wrong? Will you fly back to the original country where the responsibility lies? There’s much more serious issues at stake here than cost.

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    Mute Marian Lenehan
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    Sep 12th 2012, 2:56 PM

    Followig on Lamb’s comments, medical tourism is becoming increasingly popular. There are some real bargains if you shop around and not just in dentistry. Here’s one example http://www.health-traveler.com/?gclid=CKWLnN2YsLICFQpA4QodfWcAJg

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