AFTER FINISHING LUNCH AT WORK, DO YOU BRUSH YOUR TEETH? A survey reveals that despite knowing that a healthy, attractive smile affects both personal wellness and professional image, very few people are brushing at the office.
The survey, carried out by The Academy of General Dentistry and Oral-B Laboratories, polled more than 1,000 full-time employees about their oral care habits and the importance of a healthy smile at work. Their findings were very interesting.
The Importance Of A Healthy Smile At Work
- 96% of respondents thought a smile was very or somewhat important to a person’s appearance.
- 40% ranked “smile” as the first thing they noticed about a person at work.
- 32% cited “bad breath” as their co-workers’ least attractive trait.
Office Eating And Brushing Stats
- 3/4 of respondents ate twice or more a day at work.
- Only 14% brushed their teeth!
Changing When You Brush
The sugars and starches in the food you eat can cause an “acid attack” on tooth enamel. Even after the visible evidence of food disappears, plaque bacteria continues to grow. If you don’t brush, those workday meals, snacks, and beverages stay on your teeth and can increase the likelihood of tooth decay and gum disease. So brush! Let’s adjust the when of brushing just a bit, to your advantage: brush your teeth after breakfast, after meals at work, and before you go to bed.
Helpful Tips For Brushing At Work
- Leave a toothbrush at work and increase your likelihood of brushing by 65%!
- Step it up at home—the better you brush at home, the better you’ll brush at work.
- Take extra care to clean braces after (and store retainers while) you eat.
Suggestions?
If you already brush your teeth regularly at work, do you have any suggestions to help the rest of us, who may not be as valiant? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page.
If you would benefit from a new toothbrush to bring with you to work, ask us at Gorczyca Orthodontics about our easy travel oral hygiene kit. Your oral hygiene and dental health is our top priority. It is important to brush after lunch, especially if you have braces, Invisalign, or retainers.
Stay healthy, happy, and brush after lunch.
