The second crucial step to better teeth is brushing. It’s something we take for granted and while most of us do brush twice a day, few of us actually brush for the dentist-recommended two minutes each time. This is the optimum time required for cleaning so it’s worth timing yourself (or buying an electric toothbrush with a built in timer).

If you’re after bright, sparkling teeth use a tooth-whitening toothpaste like Janina Diamond Whitening Toothpaste is essential. It’s the perfect way to remove day-to-day stains caused by tea, coffee and wine. It’s also worth taking a long hard look at what you’re drinking. Since tooth enamel is dissolved when the pH in the mouth reaches the ‘critical point’ of 5.5 or below, you can limit erosion and decay by reducing your intake of drinks with a high acid content. That means limiting your intake of fruit juices, herbal teas, fizzy drinks, larger (sorry!) and red wine. It’s also a good idea to avoid brushing straight after drinking acidic liquids too since they’ll have weakened your tooth enamel. If you’re concerned, try chewing some sugar-free gum after drinking. It can help by stimulating the flow of saliva which helps protect teeth and strengthens enamel.

 

Combating bad breath

If you’re even just the slightest bit worried about the state of your breath you should take steps to remedy the problem. According to a British Dental Association survey one in five us reckon it’s the most unattractive feature a person can have. Here are a couple of easy ways to ensure that yours doesn’t resemble a WDM (only much easier to find!)…

 

* Keep your mouth moist. Saliva is rich in oxygen which makes it the first line of defence when it comes to bad breath because the bacteria that cause the nasty odours prefer anaerobic (oxygen-poor) environments. To improve saliva flow dentists recommend chewing fibrous veg like apples, carrots and celery, drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day and cutting back on alcohol which dehydrates the mouth causing almost instant halitosis.

 

* Cut down on dairy products. The bacteria that cause bad breath break down the lactose proteins in milk and cheese to produce sulphurous odours so cutting back on dairy will rob them of their food source.

 

* Use a nasal decongestant before going to bed. It’ll help prevent snoring – one of the main causes of bad breath in the morning. Having open airways during sleep will help reduce ‘mouth breathing’ and prevent mouth and nasal tissues from drying out.

 

* Gargle! Keep breath fresh by gargling every morning with a mouthwash. Not only will this help keep your breath smelling fresh but, if you swish hard enough, will also help dislodge particles of food trapped between your teeth.