A distraught mother has admitted she is unable to afford toothpaste for her two young daughters amid the UK’s cost of living crisis.
Liza*, a mother of two who works in the adult social care sector, said: The mirror How she was forced to clean her children’s teeth using only water after the cost of living rose.
The 34-year-old found herself struggling to make ends meet after becoming the sole provider for her daughters, aged five and ten, late last year.
Reflecting on the time she had to decide between basic hygiene and other essentials, Liza shared: ‘I felt like I was letting them down, by not being able to provide something as simple as toothpaste.
‘But the cost of everything kept going up and even though I worked, my salary never seemed to be enough.’
Liza*, a mother of two who works in adult social care, told The Mirror how she was forced to clean her children’s teeth using only water following rising living costs (file image)
Liza’s situation became increasingly dire as prices continued to rise, leading her mother to scramble for ways to stretch her budget.
Despite cooking meals in large quantities while forcing her children to follow a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, she was eventually faced with the difficult decision to stop using toothpaste as a way to save money.
“A week later, I got to the point where not buying toothpaste seemed like another way to save some money. It felt wrong, but it was a last resort,” Liza explained.
Liza admitted she had to make “excuses” to her children as to why toothpaste was no longer part of the girls’ daily routine, even saying she had “forgotten to buy it.”
The mother also revealed how she tried to combat the lack of toothpaste by using water to clean her daughters’ mouths every day.
Liza explained how she wanted the children to maintain their morning and nightly teeth cleaning routine.
He also admitted that he would check his breath for odor before kissing them, because he wanted to avoid being made fun of for it.
Hygiene poverty affects a staggering 4.2 million adults in the UK, with many households unable to afford basic items such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, according to a recent report by grassroots charity The Hygiene Bank.
Meanwhile, Dr Julia Hurry, a paediatric dentist and Colgate ambassador working on the Brush with Boots partnership, has encountered families who are forced to share a single toothbrush between several children (file image)
The rising cost of living has forced many families to make difficult choices, often sacrificing essential hygiene items to pay for food and utilities.
In collaboration with Colgate, Boots shared Liza’s harrowing experience with hygiene poverty.
Meanwhile, Dr Julia Hurry, a pediatric dentist and Colgate ambassador working on the Brush with Boots partnership, has encountered families who are forced to share a single toothbrush between several children.
The Hygiene Bank report highlights the broader implications of hygiene poverty, particularly for children.
While good oral health is essential for learning and development, three in ten parents report that financial pressures have affected their choice of dental care products for their children.
*Name has been changed.
