Here are some tips on brushing and flossing to keep your teeth in tip top condition:

• Brush teeth regularly, twice a day for two to three minutes using a non abrasive fluoride toothpaste. This helps control build up of plaque
• Leave about 20minutes after meals before brushing teeth; brushing straight after a meal can do more harm than good especially if the foods or drinks you have consumed are acidic in nature as this can lead to softening of and damage to your tooth enamel
• Change your toothbrush regularly, generally every three months and before the bristles get spalyed or worn away
• Whether it’s manual or electric,use a toothbrush with a small head and medium to soft bristles
• Your teeth have four surfaces not two so remember to floss between your teeth where your toothbrush can’t reach. This will reduce plaque between teeth,keep your mouth healthy and reduce bacteria which can lead to inflammation and gum disease

Visit your dentist and hygienist every six months.You only get one set of adult teeth so look after them!

A lack of dental routine,care and poor hygiene often leads to tooth decay. When the dental pulp of a tooth is affected,the pain in a tooth can become unbearable. Usually such a case is addressed with root canal treatment.

The pulp of the teeth can get infected due to tooth fracture or excessive pressure. When the tooth pulp is affected in such a manner, it gets infected, which results in toothache and bad breath. The only way out is to opt for root canal treatment. This procedure ensures a longer and healthier life of the tooth since all the infected pulp is extracted.

Once the treatment is over, adding a crown or cap onto the tooth is carried out to ensure that future problems are minimised. So if you are experiencing toothache or if your teeth are sensitive to hot and cold, visit a cosmetic dentist today and get rid of all your oral problems.

Kissing is good for you on many levels; Not only does it release endorphins and pheromones which create a feel good factor and lead to bonding, it also tones your facial muscles and helps prevent tooth decay by promoting saliva production, which in turn reduces plaque levels.

But does your kiss leave your partner breathless or do you find people turning away when you greet them with a kiss? If it’s the latter, you may want to look more closely at your oral health. Good oral hygiene is not only vital to your kiss appeal but crucial to the health of your teeth and gums; and there’s nothing worse than being put off kissing someone because they have bad breath or discoloured teeth.

Bad breath can be the result of many causes. Some of these include:

• Neglecting your oral healthcare especially due to poor brushing  and flossing. This can lead to bacteria build up in crevices of your teeth, gums and tongue releasing an unpleasant smell
• Smoking and ‘smoker’s breath’ which occurs as a result of tobacco derived substances accumulating on teeth, tongue, gums and cheeks
• Strong smelling foods such as onions and garlic can give off strong odours and even cheese and soda can leave you with bad breath
• Fad diets and fasting can result in breakdown of stored body fat and protein, which can in turn lead to bad odour production
• More serious problems such as gum disease or sinus infections

The good news is that bad breath is treatable.

Below are some tips to keeping your breath fresh and your mouth healthy:

• Brush your teeth (not forgetting your tongue) twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste
• Floss between your teeth daily
• Change your toothbrush every 2-3 months
• Reduce consumption and frequency of sugary food and drinks
• Chew sugar free gum after meals
• Visit your dentist and dental hygienist regularly

With great oral health, fresh breath and a kissable mouth, you should be confident enough to get up close, personal and enjoy celebrating National Kissing Day.

For more information on oral and dental health and general and cosmetic dentistry visit or call your dental surgery today.

Dominique Tillen, founder of  Brush-Baby which manufactures baby ‘toothbrushes’ was inspired by her daughter to create an innovative product range which filled a gap in the market. The concept of her company and her original dental product range aims to meet the desire of parents and dental professionals looking to address the oral healthcare needs of babies and young children.

The unique Brush-Baby Chewable Toothbrush is based around a baby’s natural urge to chew, particularly during the teething phase. It combines a chewable toothbrush  with a teether which massages and soothes tender gums as it cleans baby teeth.

The Brush-Baby Chewable toothbrush is widely available in the UK and can be found in John Lewis, Waitrose, Sainsburys,Tesco and Mothercare stores with increasing sucess and availability in Europe, Australia and the Middle East.
Other products in the range include Dental Wipes which can be used to keep oral bacteria and plaque at bay prior to the eruption of baby teeth and xylitol/fluoride toothpastes for babies and children aged from birth to six years.

Once a child’s teeth appear,looking after their teeth should become an important part of a daily hygiene routine.

The Folllowing are Dental Health Recommendations on how best to care for young teeth:

• Use a children’s toothbrush with a small amount of toothpaste.
• Supervise your child’s brushing until they are at least age seven.
• Once all the first teeth have appeared, use a small-headed soft toothbrush and clean teeth with small circular movements, one area at a time.
• Remember to  gently brush behind the teeth and onto the gums as well as fronts of teeth.
• Try to incorporate tooth brushing into a twice daily routine, morning and night.
• Encourage and praise children to look after their teeth and adopt health eating habits from a young age

Further information on Brush Baby Products  www.brushbaby.co.uk.

 This week sees the launch of National Smile Month and The ‘Smile Factor’ Campaign. The aim of the campaign is to put the smile back on peoples’ faces and help them display their full personalities through their smile.

And at Cosmetic White Smiles, we have a passion for making our people smile.

From raising awareness of a healthy diet and the links between oral health and general health, to delivering the latest advances and techniques in preventative and cosmetic dentistry, our aim for you is a healthy, radiant and confident smile.

 So if you’re wondering how to capture some of your own x-factor, whether it be at work or in your personal life, take a closer look at your teeth and smile.

After all, whether you love them or dislike them and regardless of their career moves and marriage woes in the very public limelight, Cheryl Cole and Simon Cowell still manage to dazzle us all with their x-factor smiles.

Three Simple Smile-Factor tips to healthier teeth:

•  Brush your teeth twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste

Thorough and regular brushing reduces contact of sugars and acid from foods with teeth.A fluoride toothpaste will help strengthen your teeth and prevent dental decay

• Eliminate or reduce sugary foods and drinks

Sugary foods can contribute to serious health problems such as obesity and heart disease.Fizzy, acidic or sweet drinks increase the risk of tooth decay and dental erosion.

• Visit your dentist and oral hygienist on a regular basis

Not just to help prevent  tooth decay and gum disease,fillings and tooth loss but also for your overall general health.Scientific research is backing links between gum disease  and strokes ,diabetes ,heart disease, breast cancer and premature births.

Green tea has been a popular drink in Asian countries for many centuries where it has been hailed as an alternative and natural remedy for a wide range of diseases and illness. More recent scientific studies are also establishing link between green tea consumption,and in particular, cancer prevention, cardiac health and weight control.

But less well known is the link that choosing green tea as part of your daily beverage intake can improve your dental and gum health and give you a great smile. Assuming of course that you are flossing and brushing your teeth regularly because the downside is that tea, albeit mainly the ‘inferior’ brown variety, can stain your teeth.

For those already stained and not so pearly whites, there are ways to reverse the damage. A visit to your cosmetic dentist to discuss your options such as dental laser teeth whitening treatment would be a good start.

The smile benefits of green tea are due to the presence of polyphenols and antioxidants known as catechins; these are believed to promote healthier gums and teeth by preventing the production of plaque, which if left unaddressed, can lead to dental cavities and bleeding gums.

Another reason to include more of these green leaves on your menu to enhance your smile might be as a great replacement for enamel-destroying fizzy and sports drinks or acidic based citrus juices.

And although personal and cultural preferences might dictate whether it served up traditionally hot or cosmopolitan iced, either way green tea tastes pretty good too.

The first step to a healthy smile is a healthy diet. A rich and balanced diet goes a long way in replenishing all the vitamins and minerals  that would be missing in a processed or junk food diet. Brushing your teeth after every meal also helps maintain a clean and healthy mouth.

 Chewing on fresh fruit and vegetables can naturally help cleanse your mouth and teeth as the fine pores of your teeth get rubbed, gradually removing the yellow layer that may have formed over your tooth enamel. This also works on your gums and helps keep them healthy and clean.

Drink lots of water-this helps your teeth and gums stay moist and helps was away harmful bacteria from your teeth, gums and mouth. A dehydrated mouth is like a call out to all the various dental diseases.

It’s also advisable to steer clear of certain foods and drinks. Avoid tobacco in any form and try and reduce your consumption of tea and coffee to help retain a natural bright smile.

Saliva producing foods such as apples, pears, carrots and celery as well as cucumber and cauliflower are good choices- the natural fibres from these foods combine with saliva to clean teeth and gums and also help remove bacteria

Below are some tips to keep your pearly whites sparkling:

• Chewing sugarless gum stimulates saliva and this can help to clean the surfaces of your teeth.
• Blueberries, Cranberries and Cherries can stain teeth and should be avoided if you are worried about discolouration.
• Strawberries and Lemons are naturally-occuring teeth whitening fruits.
• Brushing with baking soda helps to remove stains on your teeth. Use it to brush your teeth two to three times a month, like toothpaste on a toothbrush, then rinse your mouth afterwards.
• Eat lots of raw vegetables- they will clean your teeth and remove stains on the surface of your teeth-and they’re good for you!

Needless to say,good oral hygiene, daily brushing and flossing and regular visits to your cosmetic or NHS dentist and hygienist are essential for maintaining healthy gums and teeth.

However,the white smile diet foods mentioned above will help maintain a white teeth and smile and  help prevent stains on your teeth.

• Avoid drinking caffeinated drinks such as tea and coffee and red wine as these will stain teeth

Whether it is a business meeting or a casual conversation, people who suffer from bad breath may or may not be aware of it. If an individual is aware of the problem but have been unable to tackle it, conversing with others can be difficult. They may start panicking when they realise that the others can smell their breath. This condition can affect every part of someone’s life and lead them to become more closed off due to their avoiding of various situations.

Curing bad breath
Bad breath can be caused for many different reasons and this is why there are different remedies for it too. Popping a mint in your mouth will not do much good. Finding the cause of bad breath is important in order to treat it effectively.

Bad breath caused by food – Everyone knows that foods like garlic and onions can lead to bad breath for a short time. So when out on any important meeting, eating peppermint, a sprig of parsley, cloves or fennel seeds can take care of this problem. Rinsing the mouth after eating also helps.

Smoking – This is another cause of bad and stale breath and even affects the teeth and gums. Giving up smoking is the only way to get fresh breath.

Oral bacteria – This is the most common cause of bad breath and it affects the teeth, mouth and gums. However, it can be controlled and eliminated completely by regular flossing and brushing and visits to your dental hygienist. Doing this will control the growth of bacteria and eliminate the problem completely.

It is important for people to remember that in order to have fresh breath, it is necessary to take good care of your teeth and visit your dentist regularly.

A visit to the dentist doesn’t have to be an experience to dread. With HealOzone, you can take care of tooth decay without drilling.

Until recently, the only dental treatment that was considered effective against tooth decay was drilling. Most dentists viewed drilling as the only solution for stopping the infection from spreading and for stopping tooth decay.

More than 90% of adults suffer from tooth decay and finding a suitable solution is necessary. However, various studies have shown that drilling is ineffective in stopping the spread of tooth decay and in over 80% of cases where drilling was done, the tooth decay remained. The infection would continue to spread, grow and often lead to more serious dental problems.

With HealOzone, the affected tooth is sprayed with ozone that kills 99.9% of all bacteria present in approximately 20 seconds and neutralises the bacterial acid that causes tooth decay.

The HealOzone treatment uses no drill and is a painless treatment. It is a completely safe treatment and very effective in stopping the growth and spread of tooth decay.