As National Dental Hygiene Month continues this October, 86% of consumers said they believe that maintaining good oral health is essential to protecting oral and overall health during the pandemic, according to a survey by the Delta Dental Plans Association.
In fact, Delta Dental said, at-home oral care habits such as brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash have remained positive during the pandemic. For example:
- 77% of consumers are brushing twice a day or more during the pandemic (from March 2020 to the present), which is on par with a January 2020 figure of 75% and an increase over a 68% finding in 2019.
- 45% of consumers are using mouthwash twice a day during the pandemic, which is a slight increase over the January 2020 pre-pandemic figure of 41%.
- 38% of consumers are flossing at least once a day during the pandemic, which is the recommended guideline, and another 35% are flossing twice a day.
“It is encouraging to see a widespread understanding of oral health’s importance to overall health,” said Dr. Joseph Dill, MBA, head of dental science at the Delta Dental Plans Association. “It is further encouraging to see consumers reporting good at-home dental hygiene habits during the pandemic.”
Another recent study from the Delta Dental Institute found that 91% of consumers believe taking care of their oral health now will help prevent other health problems later. Plus, 69% agreed that the benefits of routine dental appointments during the pandemic outweighed the potential risks of delaying preventive care.
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