In National Smile month, is the UK smiling with confidence again?

THE UK is ready to smile again after 2 years of confidence sapping Lockdowns and restrictions, according to new research. The research by Portman Dental Care also found that millions of people are planning to focus on improving their health and lifestyle to help increase their self esteem, giving reasons to smile again just in time for National Smile Month, 16 May to 16 June 2022. And smiling is a key fActor for people's confidence, particularly as it's often the 1st thing they notice about someone they meet.

The research by Portman Dental Care showed those living in London (36%), Wales (33%) and East Anglia (29%), admit their smile gives them the most confidence, when compared to clothes, hair, body image and face. And smiling is most important for those aged:- 25 to 34 (32%) and over 55 (31%), for giving them a confidence boost.

Dr Catherine Tannahill, a Dentist and Director of dentistry at Portman Dental Care, said:- "In National Smile Month it's great to see the importance people place on a smile. We're working with the Oral Health Foundation to help get the UK smiling and create infectious smiles on all of our faces. It takes more muscles to create a frown than a smile and we've spent too much time frowning over the last couple of years. Those muscles can take a rest as it looks like we'll be concentrating on our building our smile muscles this year. We know that people place importance on a smile, particularly as it's often the 1st thing we notice when meeting up with people something we're now doing a lot more of again. So, what better time to get the UK smiling again than National Smile Month."

Dr Nigel Carter, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation, said:- "The Oral Health Foundation is delighted to be working with dental teams nationwide this National Smile Month to help the public to better oral health and a great smile. Good dental health is an essential fActor in good general health and 1 of the most important fActors in having a good quality of life. It affects everything from eating, drinking, smiling and every day social interactions. Taking good care of our teeth by brushing twice a day for 2 minutes with a fluoride toothpaste and going for regular dental visits will keep people smiling into the future. The last few years have been hard for dental health with the coronavirus restricting access to dental treatment. COVID, Brexit and other fActors have led to an increasing shortage of dental professionals and appointments, putting a great strain on people. Hopefully we will be able to move forward in a positive direction with the aid of this campaign to a better dental health future for all. Good oral care practices and a healthy diet with reduced sugar can make a real difference everyone's smile."

People living in Northern Ireland (29%), London (28%), the North West and Scotland (both 27%) and those aged 18 to 34 (53%) notice someone's smile first, ahead of their eyes, face, hair or what they're wearing.

The research also revealed the 4 of the most popular lifestyle changes people are likely to make this year are focusing on their health through exercising or taking up a new sport, spending more time with friends and family, and improving their smile. And it reveals Regional differences to these post Covid lifestyle changes, with more than 80% of people in the East Midlands, Northern Ireland and Wales promising to take up exercise, compared to just 65% in the South East and East Anglia.

Those living in Wales are also more likely to get a new haircut (53%) and improve their smile (49%), whereas people in London (67%) and the West Midlands (66%) are most likely to spend time with their family and friends.

Dr Tannahill, added:- "With Covid restrictions lifted, it's fascinating to hear what people are going to do with their lives now, particularly with a positive focus. The past 2 years have been extremely demanding on us all, with limited opportunities to focus on our overall health and wellbeing. Positive changes and regimes underpin a healthy and balanced lifestyle; be it for mental health, confidence or physical health, including dental wellbeing, so it's interesting that this is what people are now saying they'll be focusing on. This is really important as May is also Mental Health Awareness month."

The huge increase in use of video calling for both personal and work situations has led to many people wanting to focus on improving appearance with weight (41%), hair (27%) and teeth (26%) the main concerns.

Dr Tannahill added:- "Appearance can influence many of us, and the research indicates how it can impact our self esteem and has done so during the Covid19 Pandemic. However, it can go beyond appearance and therefore as dentists we can play just as big a role in our confidence. It is important everyone who has considered changes to their teeth or smile, or even their weight, view this with a health-first lens. Dental health does affect our general health and that a healthy foundation is critical if great looking teeth are going to be long lasting. A healthy smile is the most important fact about our teeth and something we encourage to anyone visiting our practices. The research does shows that concerns about our teeth or smile can have wide ranging impacts on our lives, from stopping people smiling on photos, low self confidence, impacting relationships and even people feeling it has held back their careers. As dentists our role is to guide patients on regaining their confidence through their smile in the healthiest way possible, so that they feel great again."

North West businesses 10% more innovative than UK average

NORTH West businesses are 10% more likely to make claims for R&D tax relief than average, the latest HMRC data shows. More businesses are claiming R&D tax relief in the North West than anywhere else in the country besides the North East and West Midlands, according to analysis by innovation funding specialists Catax. Almost 16 claims for R&D Tax Credits were made per 1,000 businesses in the Region in the latest year. In comparison, 14.4 claims are made per 1,000 businesses in the UK on average. It means 10.2% more claims are being made in the North West, relative to business population, compared to the UK overall. In contrast, the South West, the Region with the loWest proportion of businesses claiming for innovation; made 11.5 claims per 1,000 companies. This means businesses in the North West are 38.3% more likely to claim R&D Tax Credits compared with the South West. R&D projects play an important role in economic growth, as they attract inward investment, boost exports and lead to the creation of more skilled jobs locally.

The Regions making the most R&D claims per 1,000 businesses:-

► North East:- Total R&D Claims = 2,760. Total Businesses = 163,170. Claims per 1,000 businesses = 16.9.

► West Midlands:- Total R&D Claims = 7,885. Total Businesses = 483,020. Claims per 1,000 businesses = 16.3.

► North West:- Total R&D Claims = 8,915. Total Businesses = 561,675. Claims per 1,000 businesses = 15.9.

► Northern Ireland:- Total R&D Claims = 2,280. Total Businesses = 148,305. Claims per 1,000 businesses = 15.4.

► London:- Total R&D Claims = 17,210. Total Businesses = 1,133,765. Claims per 1,000 businesses = 15.2.

► Yorkshire and the Humber:- Total R&D Claims = 6,405. Total Businesses = 422,435. Claims per 1,000 businesses = 15.2.

► Wales:- Total R&D Claims = 2,940. Total Businesses = 208,830. Claims per 1,000 businesses = 14.1.

► East Midlands:- Total R&D Claims = 5,510. Total Businesses = 396,900. Claims per 1,000 businesses = 13.9.

► South East:- Total R&D Claims = 12,740. Total Businesses = 931,675. Claims per 1,000 businesses = 13.7.

► East of England:- Total R&D Claims = 8,085. Total Businesses = 598,250. Claims per 1,000 businesses = 13.5.

► Scotland:- Total R&D Claims = 4,580. Total Businesses = 369,945. Claims per 1,000 businesses = 12.4.

► South West:- Total R&D Claims = 6,455. Total Businesses = 562,545. Claims per 1,000 businesses = 11.5.

Source: HMRC R&D Tax Credits and BEIS business population estimates...

On an absolute basis, the most claims were made in London with 17,210 followed by the South East with 12,740.

R&D tax relief was introduced by the Government in 2000 to incentivise innovation, and results in either a reduction in a limited company's corporation tax bill or a cash lump sum.

Many firms don't realise the work they do qualifies as R&D, which is defined as any work that seeks to resolve a scientific or technological uncertainty, whether that's a new process, product or service. Crucially, R&D work does not need to have been successful to qualify and claims can be made up to 2 years beyond the end of the tax year in which the work took place.

Mark Tighe, CEO of innovation funding specialists Catax, comments:- "The North is shining brightly when it comes to innovation, leaving many parts of the UK trailing behind. Innovation across the North West and North East will be vital when it comes to levelling up, and it will have a positive impact on economic growth and the creation of more highly skilled jobs. Despite these positive figures, we know so many more businesses, especially SMEs, are carrying out R&D work without claiming for the valuable tax reliefs they are entitled to. Millions of companies have faced financial difficulties during the Pandemic, and this is money that can create a virtuous circle of growth for both businesses and local economies."