Despite a predilection for biscuits and cakes, Maltese have the healthiest teeth in Europe, EU study discovers
James Debono If there were any doubt that our bite is than our bark, a Eurobarometer survey published in February has revealed that the Maltese enjoy among the highest standards of dental health in Europe.
The survey shows that Malta, along with Denmark and Cyprus, reports the highest percentage of respondents (57%) stating that they still have all their natural teeth.
On the other hand inhabitants of Eastern European countries were the likeliest to have lost their teeth. Only 19% of Hungarians had not lost any of their natural teeth.
The survey also showed that 36% of the Maltese wear a removable denture, higher than an EU average of 31%.
Britons emerge as the likeliest to wear a removable denture (38%), while Swedes are the least likely (10%)
Only 11% of the Maltese experience difficulty in eating food due to mouth and teeth problems, compared to 32% of Romanians. Romanians are also the likeliest to be embarrassed because of the appearance of their teeth or dentures (16%), compared to just 3% of the Maltese.
Ironically, though the Maltese are among the least likely to experience teeth problems they are also among the most avid consumers of biscuits and cakes. While 23% of Maltese respondents claim to eat biscuits and cakes frequently, only 8% of the Danes did likewise.
But the Maltese were among the least likely to consume chewing gum (5%) compared to 19% of Romanians and 15% of Italians.
Maltese are also avid consumers of colas and soft drinks, with 22% claiming to drink carbonated drinks frequently, compared to Europe’s average of 19%. Bulgarians however top the soft drinks table with a consumption claim of 40%. 62% of the Maltese often consume fresh fruit – a figure which is very near the European average.
While an EU average of 57% have gone to the dentist in the past year, only 50% of the Maltese have done the same. On average, the Maltese visit a dentist less than twice a year, which makes them among the least likely to visit a dentist in Europe.
In contrast, Romanians visit their dentist on average nearly four times a year.
Most local dentist appointments appear to concern hygiene more than medical problems, with 55% of the Maltese going for a check up or cleaning, 17% for routine treatment and 28% for emergency treatment.
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