Emeritus Professor Laurie Walsh from UQ’s School of Dentistry spoke to ABC Radio National about a survey which found two thirds of people have not been to the dentist for two years.
The survey of 25,000 Australians was conducted by the Australian Dental Association finding lockdowns were partly to blame, but cost was also factor, driving some people to search for DIY dentistry tips on social media.
Emeritus Professor Walsh says it’s particularly important for children to have regular check ups.
“We recommend that the first visit for a child should be when their first tooth erupts or otherwise their first birthday," he says
“The reason for that is basically you set up the environment for how that person’s dental plaque is going to behave.
“We know that a lot of people who get a lot of tooth decay in the first couple of years of their life go one to experience a lot of decay in their permanent teeth and therefore their more likely to lose teeth later on.”
