27 May 2016

With the European Union Referendum only a few weeks away new research has discovered that David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn may be in for troubling times as their names have topped a poll of those which are most likely to wipe the smile from our face.

As part of National Smile Month the Oral Health Foundation set out to find out the names which make the British public smile the most and those which make us smile the least, with some interesting results.

Surprisingly there was a rather political theme running through the names of those which make us smile the least, with David and Jeremy coming first and second respectively, followed by John, Donald and Ian.

The women’s names which were least likely to make us smile were; June, Donna, Helen, Louise and Lisa.

Speaking on the results Dr Nigel Carter OBE, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation, said: “Politicians are rarely the most popular people but at such a politically charged time it seems that even the mention of some of our top politician names such as, David and Jeremy, is enough to swiftly banish our smiles.

“Obviously this research is very subjective; we all have that one person in our lives that makes us grin from ear to ear and one which can quickly turn our smiles upside down. A smile can make ourselves, and the people around us, feel better and they are hugely contagious so we should all try to keep those people close to us that make us smile.

“The benefits of maintaining a healthy mouth also go far beyond that of our social lives. There is increasing evidence that poor oral health is related to serious conditions such as cardiac disease, strokes, diabetes and even problems in pregnancy.”

At the other end of the scale the royal effect seems to have taken hold, with George topping the poll for male names which make us smile the most. Emily was crowned the female name which is most likely tomake us flash those pearly whites.

The Oral Health Foundation have released the research as part of National Smile Month, which runs until 16 June. The campaign is UK’s largest and longest running charity campaign initiative aimed at increasing awareness of importance of oral health, and this year celebrates its 40th year.

National Smile Month 2016 is being supported by some of the nation’s best-known brands and retailers. Wrigley’s Extra, Oral-B as platinum sponsors of the campaign, with further support from Polo® sugar-free and Philips Sonicare.

Together, with thousands of individuals and organisations, National Smile Month highlights three key messages, all of which go a long way in helping us develop and maintain a healthy mouth. They are:

• Brush your teeth last thing at night and on at least one other occasion with a fluoride toothpaste.

• Cut down on how often you have sugary foods and drinks.

• Visit your dentist regularly, as often as they recommend.