Dental check-ups – a sizable proportion of Europeans only see a dentist when they have a problem with their teeth

94% of Europeans say that staying cavity-free is important – and wish to improve their current oral care, to allow them to take control and be more responsible for their own oral health. However, when it comes to check-ups:

• 35% of Europeans see the dentists less than once a year, or only when they have a problem with their teeth
• 25% of Europeans only see the dentist when they have a problem with their teeth

• Almost a third (29%) of Europeans brush their teeth once a day, or less
• Only 60% of Europeans both see their dentist at least once a year AND brush their teeth twice (or more) daily.

These are some of the results of a Europe-wide survey supported by Colgate-Palmolive Company and released by the Pan-European Chapter of the Alliance for a Cavity-Free Future (ACFF).

The good news is that the public are looking to their dental teams for proactive support and more than a third would be willing to commit to a monthly flat-rate payment of more than €20 to support this. 86% also agreed that being cavity-free was important for their overall quality of life. The most recent results showed that 60-70% of Europeans feel that being Cavity-Free gives them confidence in social situations and allows them to feel accepted by their peers. For check-ups, ‘Millennial’ (under 35s) survey respondents were almost 15% less likely than the ‘baby boomer’ generation (over 55s) to see their dentist twice a year. ‘Baby boomers’ were also 12% more likely than Millennials to brush their teeth for longer periods of time.