Research reveals poor oral hygiene as biggest dating ‘ick’ as GK Barry shares advice on how she bagged ‘eyelashes’

The biggest dating turn-offs include excessive phone use during a date, chewing loudly and bad breath, according to research.

A poll of 2,000 actively dating adults found smoking, bad dress sense and arriving late also featured highly on the top 50 list.

While 14 per cent would get the ick if their date had food stuck in their teeth – but 70 per cent would at least tell them about it. Although 64 per cent even admitted they wouldn’t date someone with poor oral hygiene.

Rosemarie Maka Oral Healthcare expert for Philips Sonicare, which commissioned the research, said: “We all know how important it is to make a good first impression, but there’s even more pressure on this when it comes to dating.

“As the saying goes, the trouble with them is that you only get to make one, and if you blow it, it’s hard to come back from.

“Dating can be a minefield to begin with and not everything is controllable, but certainly when it comes to brushing up your smile, there are things you can do to set yourself up for success early and feel your most confident and best self.”

Nearly three in 10 (29 per cent) believe first impressions have a great impact on the rest of a date, with 54 per cent saying it affects their impression of their date at least a fair amount.

And the study found garlic-heavy foods, sushi with strong fish and onions are the top foods to avoid if eating is involved when on a date.

A further 92 per cent would get turned off if their date got too drunk and started slurring their words.

Other top dating no-no’s include talking too much about an ex (52 per cent), interrupting conversations (49 per cent) and swearing too much (36 per cent).

As two thirds (66 per cent) admit they’d be unlikely to go on a second date with someone who displayed even one turnoff, on the first one.

But some of these icks are possible to overcome, with 38 per cent admitting they’d let it slide if someone arrived late, while 31 per cent would give the benefit of the doubt to someone in un-ironed clothes.
But only 10 per cent would go for another date with somebody who turned up with bad breath on the first occasion.

More than a quarter (26 per cent) consider someone’s appearance to matter ‘a great deal’ when on a date – with 18 to 24-year-olds most likely to feel this way.

As many as 25 per cent also believe they’ve been ‘catfished’ – and turned up on a date to find the person looked totally different from their pictures.

And 30 per cent have ditched a date early because they behaved in a totally ick-worthy manner, according to the OnePoll.com figures.

To get singles talking about their teeth, presenter, social media personality and ‘Saving Grace’ podcaster GK Barry said: “It’s essential to always do a last-minute breath check and make sure you don’t have anything stuck in your teeth before a date – my teeth looked pearly white before my first date with ‘eyelashes’, and arguably that’s how I got her.”

Rosemarie Maka Oral Healthcare expert for Philips Sonicare whose DiamondClean Prestige toothbrush claims to be 20 times more effective than a manual one when removing plaque, added: “Making a positive first impression is so much about how you feel rather than how you look.

“When you feel fresh and confident you’re so much more likely to be able to relax and show your best self and one very easy way to help do that is with an effective toothbrush pre-date.”

TOP 40 DATING TURNOFFS
Poor hygiene
Lying or being dishonest
Bad breath
Rudeness to waitstaff or service workers
Overly aggressive behavior
Arrogance or excessive bragging
Constantly talking about an ex
Being rude or dismissive of others’ opinions
Excessive phone use during a date
Being overly controlling or jealous
Not listening or interrupting often
Being overly negative or complaining a lot
Talking with a mouth full of food
Bad manners at the table
Lack of empathy or emotional intelligence
Being overly critical or judgmental
Being too pushy or clingy
Constantly checking out other people
Inappropriate or offensive jokes
Someone chewing with their mouth open
Smoking
Chewing loudly
Regular use of bad language
Trying to rush the relationship
Being too secretive or evasive
Lack of personal boundaries
Talking about money too much
Talking too much about material possessions
Talking too much about oneself
Arriving late
Poor grooming/in need of a haircut
Bad clothes
Inappropriate or revealing clothing for the occasion
Lack of ambition or goals
Constant licking of lips
Unironed clothes
Bad makeup
Getting food stuck in their teeth
Bad shoes
Someone having a particularly small or large mouth