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News / February 12, 2014

Smile with confidence on Valentine’s Day

by Guy Hiscott

A whopping 90% of Irish people say that unhealthy or unsightly teeth would put them off a new partner.

More than half (54%) claimed that they viewed bad teeth as unhygienic, unattractive (50%) or unhealthy (46%).

The survey, commissioned by Decare Dental Insurance Ireland, determined that almost half (48%) of Irish public believed a good smile and healthy teeth was the first thing they noticed about a person.

Dr Ger Gavin, chief dental officer for Decare Dental Insurance Ireland, commented on the findings: ‘The research clearly highlights the importance of dental hygiene yet again, and there is no better time than Valentine’s Day to correct any bad habits that may have slipped into your routine.’

Research conducted on behalf of Decare Dental Insurance highlighted that almost half (48%) of Irish people have not visited their dentist in the past 12 months.

Nearly 6 out of 10 (58%) of these mentioned cost as a barrier to not attending the dentist more often.

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