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If you’re thinking about being romantic tonight, you might want to make sure your oral hygiene is in check. Based on a new survey, oral hygiene is significantly preferred over the traditional romantic overtures to set the mood, such as dimming the lights, lighting candles, wearing perfume or playing romantic music.
The national survey, which was fielded by Kelton Research, examined Americans’ views on oral healthcare and revealed that a clean mouth was most important in maintaining a healthy relationship. Close to six in 10, or 59 percent, would be most disturbed by their partner not brushing or flossing his or her teeth for a week, as compared to only 24 percent who would be most perturbed if their significant other passed on wearing deodorant. Far fewer were bothered by their partner skipping shaving, hair combing or trimming toe nails for a week, at 9 percent, 6 percent and 2 percent, respectively.
The Waterpik Sexy Smile Survey also found that while they are quick to judge the flossing habits of their significant others, the majority of Americans actually have a lot of ups and downs in their own relationship with floss. Key findings on flossing and oral healthcare include:
– Only When I’m Desperate
Americans are most likely to floss just before visiting the dentist (51 percent), and when they have food stuck in between their teeth or have bad breath (64 percent), which could mean their mouths are not as fresh as they should be most other times.
– Below Grade
Nearly six in ten (58 percent) Americans say they deserve a C or lower for the efforts they make to floss their teeth on a daily basis. In fact, about one in five (18 percent) give themselves a failing grade.
– Unpleasant Act
Among people who floss their teeth, close to six in ten (57 percent) say that floss makes their gums bleed, it gets stuck between their teeth, (52 percent), and it caused little bits of food to fly onto the mirror (42 percent).
– We Want an Alternative
In fact, Americans would pay an average of $53 for an alternative to regular string floss (which you can usually get for free from your dentist) if it meant that the process was faster, easier and more effective.
“The results of this study reinforced some of what we already knew—that most consumers simply don’t like to floss with string—but we were surprised at how important oral hygiene was in order to be attractive to your significant other,” said Jay McCulloch, Vice President of Marketing for Water Pik Oral Health Products.
About The Water Survey
The Waterpik Sexy Smile Survey was conducted by Kelton Research between Sept. 10 and Sept. 16, 2010 among 1,001 US adults using an e-mail invitation and an online survey. Quotas are set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total US population ages 18 and over. Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.
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