Sweet-toothed Maltese least likely to visit dentist

Maltese adults are the least keen in the EU to visit their dentist on a regular basis and still, by their own reckoning, they have the strongest teeth among the member states, according to a Eurobarometer survey.

Fifty-seven per cent of participants said they still had all their natural teeth in place. This is the highest percentage among the EU27, where, on average, just 41 per cent of those interviewed made the same claim.

The survey, conducted last October, found Maltese were the least likely to frequent a dentist. They normally visit 1.7 times a year, the lowest frequency in the EU, which on average stands at 2.2 times a year.

Half the Maltese participants said they visited their dentist once in the last 12 months. On the other hand, 14 per cent admitted they only had their teeth checked once in the last five years, while 27 per cent said they last made a dental appointment more than two years ago.

The results showed the Maltese like to indulge in sweets and other sugary products, a hazard in terms of dental care.

Maltese respondents said they ate or drank on average 7.1 times a day, one of the highest averages among the EU27, which stood at 5.4 times.

Asked on what type of food they consumed, the Maltese appear to have a sweeter tooth than their European counterparts.

While 62 per cent said they often ate fruit, a healthy choice that normally makes teeth stronger, a large proportion of the population admitted to consuming soft drinks (22 per cent), cakes (23 per cent) and sweets (18 per cent).