A survey has found nearly a third of Millennials put off visiting the dentist during the pandemic, a move that could leave some with significant oral health problems going forward.

However, it also found that there is an increased interest in having cosmetic work undertaken.

The study by Mintel established that 28 per cent of those aged between 25 and 40 did not visit a dentist, while 36 per cent struggled to find an available dentist, compared with 30 per cent for the population as a whole, Dentistry.co.uk reports.

While this may have some negative outcomes for Millennials, the situation may be worse for Generation Z. The survey found 22 per cent of those aged 16-24 revealed they had felt less prompted to care for their oral health during the pandemic.

Mintel analyst Emilia Greenslade said the fear of the virus has put many young people off going to the dentist, meaning they have had to take more care of their teeth themselves.

She added: “Lower general motivation and increased cost concerns are likely to have put off younger Brits, in particular, from visiting their dentists.”

Despite this, however, there may be a need for more teeth whitening trays, as the survey found more interest among young people in having cosmetic work done. This included 20 per cent expressing an interest in having whitening work done by a dentist and interest in buying whitening strips rising from seven per cent in 2020 to 11 per cent in 2021.

Mouthwash sales were also up, with one of the motivations for this being an increased awareness of bad breath prompted by mask wearing, something 42 per cent of adults surveyed reported.

The lower attendances at dentists by young people appear to be a specific consequence of the pandemic, rather than any general rise in dentophobia.

Indeed, the findings come at a time when record numbers of students are applying to university dentistry courses.

UCAS has reported 100,000 applications this year, up 20 per cent from 14 years ago.