In news that will no doubt amuse our American readers, a survey has shown up the British approach to flossing in all its ham-fisted glory. As well as screwdrivers, ingenious dental daredevils confessed to jamming knives, scissors and needles between their teeth, the BBC reports.

At the less lethal end of spectrum, people admitted to deploying keys, paper clips, matchsticks, earrings, nail files, pencils, cards, and forks to pick the bits from between their yellowing gnashers.

British Dental Health Foundation chief executive Dr Nigel Carter is the man with the unenviable task of educating Brits in the way of the floss. He said: "A screwdriver is hardly the most flexible of items and I don't think people realise the damage this could do to their gums.

"The idea of someone picking their teeth with a screwdriver may sound amusing for a moment but it is actually a big worry that so many people are happy to use whatever is closest to hand to remove food from between their teeth."

A shocking 23 per cent of those surveyed eschewed any kind of food removal routine whatsoever, preferring to suffer rotting death breath to risking a case of "McGowan Mouth" by nipping out to the toolshed. ®