The condition of Poles’ teeth is worse than before the pandemic. How often should we visit the dentist?
Poles have gums and teeth in terrible condition, and proper hygiene is also poor. Maciej Nowak, MD, points out that it is worse than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
– During the pandemic, we paid less attention to dental prevention, and as a result, the condition of Poles’ teeth has deteriorated even more – says Maciej Nowak, MD, PhD from the Polish Society of Periodontology. He adds that even such basic things as daily dental care are poor. Poles also go to the dentist too rarely for check-ups.
Not all Poles brush their teeth twice a day
The statistics scare specialists, because it turns out we have problems even brushing our teeth properly. According to Maciej Nowak, research shows that only 60 percent Poles brush their teeth twice a day, and 40 percent additionally cleans the spaces between the teeth. In turn, oral hygiene and health experts emphasize that we clean only 60% of our teeth while brushing. contamination, which is why it is so important to use interdental brushes or dental floss.
How often should you go to the dentist?
– Unfortunately, the reason for visiting a dentist is most often pain or aesthetic problems, not prevention – emphasized Maciej Nowak, quoted by PAP. In his opinion, you should visit the dentist at least once a year. Thanks to this, disturbing changes in the teeth and oral cavity can be detected early.
The specialist believes that we are currently reaping the harvest of what happened during the pandemic, when Poles visited dentists less often. – It’s much worse than before the pandemic. Periodontology, a field dealing with the prevention and treatment of gums, periodontium and oral mucosa, requires reminder visits. During the pandemic, patients came to us mainly for pain or extremely aesthetic reasons. In such people, active dental and periodontal disease has returned – treatment must be carried out from the beginning – says Dr. Maciej Nowak.
