This quick summary of dental do’s is here to help you develop good habits and maybe take you away from some unhelpful ones.

Flossing

While not an uncommon thing for people to do, there are still many who don’t regularly floss. Over recent years flossing has become more and more important and most dentists strongly urge their patients to floss every time they brush their teeth.

Twice or Three Times a Day?

While it can be helpful to your oral health to brush every time you eat, brushing too often can actually do more damage than good. Brushing with a heavy hand can damage gums (I’m sure everyone has found bleeding gums while brushing at some point or another) and can also slowly wear away the enamel of the tooth.

Swilling after Brushing

Just about everyone swills their mouths after brushing their teeth; getting rid of any leftover tooth paste just seems the sensible thing to do. But it can actually be beneficial to leave a the small amount of toothpaste in your mouth to protect teeth for longer. This isn’t recommended for all tooth paste brands, however, and those with a very strong fluoride concentration shouldn’t be used in this way.

Brushing Before or After Meals

It might seem sensible to brush after meals to remove any leftover food particles, but quite often it’s a better idea to brush before meals and floss afterwards. Brushing before meals can protect teeth from damage for a short time, making it very useful to do just before a meal.

Fruit is Good for Teeth

Some fruits can be good for teeth. However, certain fruits, specifically citrus fruits, can be very damaging to teeth. Fruits such as oranges and lemons are very acidic and other fruits, such as apples, that have large amounts of natural sugars can be damaging to teeth as well.

Sugary foods

Sugar can be very harmful for the teeth and gums. When you eat foods that have high sugar content, the sugar reacts with the bacteria present in plaque and this can then lead to decay. When the sugar reacts with the bacteria, harmful plaque acids are formed, which attack the protective enamel surfaces of the teeth, leaving the dentin portion of the tooth exposed and vulnerable. Acid attacks weaken the enamel for around one hour. Examples of foods that are high in sugar include sweets, cakes, biscuits, chocolate and fizzy drinks.

Acidic foods

Acidic foods can have a detrimental effect on the enamel of the teeth, as they can contribute to acid erosion, which occurs when acid attacks the enamel of the tooth. Enamel is a very hard tissue, but it is not a living tissue, which means that it cannot be replaced or regenerated in the body. This means that once the enamel is worn or damaged it cannot be reproduced and the tooth will be susceptible to decay. Acid erosion often causes sensitivity, as the dentin portion of the tooth, which contains the living tissue (the nerves and the blood vessels), becomes exposed. Sensitivity usually causes pain when you eat or drink something very hot or cold.

Eating habits

Dental experts are eager to stress that the frequency of eating or drinking sugary or acidic foods and drinks is as important as the quantity you eat. The teeth can only withstand a limited number of acid attacks; so if you do fancy something sweet, try to restrict your intake to meal times. Snacking, grazing and sipping on sugary drinks throughout the day will mean that the teeth are under constant attack. As the enamel is weakened for an hour after eating or drinking something sugary or acidic, it is important that you do not brush your teeth during this time period, as brushing weakened enamel could cause further damage. Instead, you should wait at least an hour before brushing.

On top of brushing your teeth twice a day dentists now recommend that you floss your teeth every day and rinse your mouth with an alcohol-free mouthwash such as Corsodyl after brushing.

Have your teeth professionally cleaned to improve your oral health.

The secret to a healthy smile is to avoid sugary foods and drinks in between meals and although I hate to sound like a puritanical spoil sport, cutting down on dark, stain-causing foods such as coffee and red wine will help your smile shine too.

See your dentist

If you are over 40 then I cannot stress how vital it is that you see your dentist for a regular six month check-up because you are more at risk of developing oral cancer than any other age group. Your dentist will be able to spot any significant changes in your mouth and gums long before you will. Pain is often not an early symptom of mouth cancer.

Your dentist will also be able to personalise your oral hygiene routine, taking into consideration any medication you take.

Tooth decay can be a painful process which might require invasive surgery to correct.  The best way to stop tooth decay in its tracks is to be vigilant in guarding against plaque in your mouth.  Plaque is a substance which attacks the tooth enamel, a hard material that exists to protect your teeth.  If enamel is sufficiently weakened your teeth can be compromised by acids found in sugary and starchy foods and cavities might form.  Tooth decay, although found mostly in children, can strike at any age and is fairly common in older people whose teeth have been subject to years of wear and tear.

It is important to pursue a healthy, balanced diet in tandem with a good home oral hygiene regime.  Too many foods containing lots of sugar and starch can form acid which attacks teeth, exposing the nerves in your teeth and causing great pain.  This is why brushing and flossing twice a day is so important.  Doing so clears the mouth of the plaque which can be so damaging to your teeth.

Smoking tobacco can be a major cause of tooth decay because it lessens the production of saliva.  Saliva is a vital substance which helps the fight against plaque and if there is not enough of it, plaque can do its work.  Tap water is fortified with fluoride, a substance which helps strengthen enamel, so it is preferable to drink lots of it rather than bottled water.

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You should contact your dentist if you experience tooth ache which will not go away.  If your teeth become unduly sensitive to foods of different temperatures, you might be experiencing the early signs of tooth decay.  Further indicators include bad breath and unpleasant and unusual tastes in your mouth.  Avoid the need for fillings by telling your Liverpool Street London dentist about any of these symptoms.

Fresh breath is not the only benefit that chewing gum can give you.  It is an activity that can really help your oral hygiene.  It is one of the simplest ways to achieve increased production of saliva which helps to protect your teeth from being damaged by build ups of plaque.

Having fresh breath can increase your confidence in social occasions by ensuring that you are not worried about the smell of your breath while talking and smiling.  Chewing gum is an easy and convenient way to achieve this and can be pleasurable by increasing saliva production and combatting any uncomfortable sensation of having a dry mouth.

When you eat sugary and starchy foods, the acids which are produced in the mouth form into plaque.  Plaque breaks down your teeth’s natural defence, enamel and can lead to cavities and painful tooth decay.  Saliva is another of your mouth’s natural defences as it neutralizes these harmful acids.  You can produce saliva by chewing gum.

Another chewing gum benefit is that it actually helps to clean your teeth.  Of course it is no substitute for brushing and flossing but you might find yourself in a situation without access to your brush and chewing gum will be the next best thing for after dinner at a party, for example.  The activity of chewing means that some debris will be moved from the teeth and gums and plaque finds it more difficult to form.

Chewing gum also helps teeth to retain a degree of whiteness by preventing stains from taking hold.

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Your London dentist can advise you which of the chewing gums on the market are best for enhancing your oral hygiene.

Although have a check up with your dentist every six months is hugely important, it is just as vital that you take excellent care of your teeth and gums at home in your everyday life.  In order to do this you should pursue the recommended regime of brushing and flossing that will help to keep gum disease and tooth decay at bay.

You should brush your teeth at least twice a day to stop the build up of plaque.  Plaque forms from the sugary and starchy foods we eat and attacks the enamel which protects our teeth.  Just brushing your teeth once a day will not be enough as plaque takes four to twelve hours to form.  An even better solution is to brush your teeth after every meal, especially if it was particularly sugary or starchy.

Fluoride toothpastes are ideal because they actually help to strengthen enamel.  You ought to brush for about three minutes and use a soft-bristled brush.  An overly vigorous technique or an especially hard brush can damage your gums and, in time, wear down your enamel and leave your teeth more exposed.

Flossing is important too because it reaches and cleans parts of your mouth which brushes cannot.  Floss is made from thin nylon or Teflon and is pulled between the teeth to remove plaque and debris which can form there too.  If you are not a regular user of floss and begin using it you find your gums become a little sore or even bleed but this will pass.

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Contact your Bishopsgate London dentist for more advice how brushing and flossing helps maintain good oral hygiene.