68% of Catalans currently suffer from some oral health problem. The most common, according to the latest Sanitas Oral Health Study, are dental sensitivity (30.29%), bleeding gums (18.30%) and bruxism (18.97%). And, attention, half of those who suffer from bruxism admit that it is due to stress.
To get your best smile, at the Sanitas Dental Clinics they will give away a rose and a free dental check-up at any of the 40 clinics in Catalonia. An action that seeks to put its finger on the sore, literally, because approximately 20% of Catalans only go to the dentist when they have problems. And 7 out of 10 parents never take their children to the dentist.
Among the main reasons for Catalans to go to the dentist are dental cleanings (42.44%), check-ups (34.32%) and cavities (15.53%). “Prevention is key, that is why it is essential to visit the dentist at least once a year and not only when complications occur, to precisely prevent them from appearing. Detecting a pathology in time prevents it from leading to more serious problems”, says Dr. Manuela Escorial, dentist and head of the Department of Innovation and Clinical Quality at Sanitas Dental. "Good oral hygiene and going for a check-up with your dentist are the perfect allies for prevention and maintaining the health of your mouth," says the expert, in line with another worrying fact that the study points out: only 30% of the Catalan population brushes their teeth 3 times a day.
65% of Catalan children between the ages of 4 and 13 have had oral problems in the last year. The most common, cavities and anomalies in the position or shape of the teeth. And almost 17% of adolescents between the ages of 14 and 23 have bruxism (16.8%), a surprisingly close percentage to that of the adult population.
“Bruxism can cause dental wear and headaches, neck and ear pain”, explains Dr. Manuela Escorial, for whom the approach to bruxism must be done in a multidisciplinary way: “the dentist will rehabilitate and protect your bite; sometimes it will also be necessary to go to a physiotherapist if there are muscle contractures, and finally, treat stress with a psychologist”. The 2023 Sanitas Oral Health Study also indicates that 17.46% of Catalan pregnant women have had some oral health problem throughout their pregnancy and indicated that they had suffered loss of teeth.
Just 100 years ago now, Joan Salvat-Papasseit created El poema de la rosa als llavis. In view of the data from this study on oral health, it does not hurt to continue connecting the mouth, the rose and literature. This Sant Jordi, book, rose and healthy smile.
