Poor care at home has resulted in a relatively large number of people with gum disease. While the number of cavities has decreased since 1980, gum disease has remained constant.
In its Health 2000 report, the National Institute criticises dentists for not giving their adult patients enough instruction on how to properly care for their teeth. Improvement is needed in the way people brush their teeth and use fluoride. Also, candy and other sweets are also causing problems.
The report says that women take better care of their teeth than men. In addition, the better educated a person is, the better dental hygiene they have.
