Millennials Brush Their Teeth Less Often Than You Think

You may like or dislike minnellials, but their influence on the world is impossible to deny. Millennials dictate trends in business, the internet, and many other aspects of life. They are successful in many ways due to opportunities they create, particularly in creating jobs that haven’t even existed before. Although they’re influential, millennials are terrible at keeping their teeth clean, new research suggests.

Americans and Dental Health
The market research company One Poll carried out a research commissioned by Hello Products, a naturally friendly oral care company. The research involved 2000 Americans who were asked about their teeth cleaning habits, the frequency of their visits to the dentist, and other similar questions.

Results of this research surprised everyone mostly because they showed that most Americans don’t really pay too much attention to teeth cleaning. Not only that, but they also avoid regular check-ups at the dentist’s office.

Researchers found that about one-third of surveyed Americans brush their teeth once a day only. This means they dedicate two minutes of their day to teeth cleaning. The American Dental Association[1] recommends brushing teeth twice a day for two minutes. Basically, we need to dedicate four minutes a day to our pearly whites, but most millennials are only willing to set two minutes for this important hygiene routine.
Brushing your teeth twice a day isn’t some silly rule made up by people to add yet another responsibility into your life. Oral health plays a major role in your overall health and wellbeing. Reasons to brush your teeth regularly are numerous, including:

Fresh breath
Gum disease prevention
Heart health
No stains on teeth
Stroke prevention
Dementia prevention
Gum Disease Info
How often Americans Visit the Dentist?
The research showed[2] that Americans would rather do pretty much anything than visit their dentist. In fact, 6 in 10 or 62% of survey responders were too scared to schedule an appointment at dentist’s office and go to a regular checkup.

Study results suggest that many Americans may fear a visit to the dentist even more than any of the potentially life-threatening health risks associated with poor oral hygiene. In fact, they were more afraid of a dentist, than a surgeon (9%) or neurologist (26%).

One-third of all responders reported they would rather forgo sex for a month than to see the dentist. Also, 19% of Americans would rather speak in front of a big crowd of more than 50 people than go and get their teeth checked up.

The fear and feeling of discomfort to see the dentist is present in all generations with 24% of people over 55 and 27% of those between 18 and 34 reporting the same.

Founder of Hello Products explains that lack of oral hygiene is comparable to spending more time online. People invest a lot of time on their internet presence via social media. They enhance* their appearance which also includes teeth whitening in Photoshop or some apps one can easily download. Speaking of social media, it is important to mention that teeth whitening kits advertised by influencers and celebrities are bad news for your health.

Reasons Americans are Scared of Dentists
Based on a survey of 2000 people, these are the reasons[3] why Americans are scared of their dentists:

Painful treatment (74%)
Pain after treatment (47%)
Noise of the dental drill (34%)
Negative past experiences (29%)
Fear of anesthetics not working (25%)
Read Next – How Dental Health Is Associated With Your Overall Health?

Conclusion
The study of 2000 people found that one-third of millennials brush their teeth once a day only. Also, most Americans avoid visiting their dentist for a checkup due to fear of painful treatment, discomfort after treatment, and other reasons. Dental health is extremely important. Brush your teeth twice or three times a day and go to regular checkups twice a year.