Chocolate has topped the poll for the thing that makes most people smile.

As this year's National Smile Month comes to an end today, the British Dental Health Foundation has been asking hundreds of people what makes them smile the most. In a close fought competition a simple bar of chocolate has topped the poll, followed by 'seeing a loved one'.

Food and 'relationships' were common inclusions in a bewildering array of things mentioned in the poll, which spontaneously gave people the 'Smile factor' - the theme of this year's National Smile Month campaign run by the British Dental Health Foundation.

Around half of respondents featured chocolate on their list of items, with 60 per cent of women making it their favourite choice. Men preferred a Sunday roast to chocolate, but both scored highly.

The contagious nature of smiling was also highlighted by around a third of people saying they smiled when they 'saw someone else smile'.

The Foundation also asked people to choose a colour which made them smile the most. The top polling answer was the nice summery colour yellow with around a third of votes.

Dr Nigel Carter, Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, said: "We hope this year's National Smile Month campaign has brought a smile to many people's faces and has helped to remind everyone about how to care for their teeth.

"It is clear the nation has a very sweet tooth and chocolate definitely has the smile factor. Chocolate may not be the best thing for your teeth, but if everyone follows the Foundation's three rules for good oral health, it's something that we can all continue to enjoy.

"As a final reminder for this year, we recommend adopting a simple routine of brushing for two minutes twice a day using a fluoride toothpaste, cutting down on how often you eat and drink sugary foods and drinks and visiting your dentist regularly, as often as they recommend," advised Dr Carter.

Source:
British Dental Health Foundation