We're a while off the latest member of the family needing dental attention - at 8 weeks he has a lovely gummy smile and knows nothing of the teething to come,  but even so it got me thinking of how much we take our teeth for granted as we get older!

 
I've been more guilty than many when it comes to looking after my teeth (an early childhood trauma with a dentist "up North" put me off for sooo long)!  If that sounds familiar then read on - apparently a bad childhood experience is the number one reason a lot of us don't go as often as we should.

Well, the best way to address most issues is head on and I'm lucky to have met Ian Greenwood who owns the ever popular dental practice at Salisbury House who are now members of thebestofhammersmithandfulham. 

Ian and I have been chatting recently and I wrote down his tips for great dental health and thought I'd pass them on - here's what he said!

" Make sure that you visit your dentist for regular health checks. At Salisbury House, not only do we check your teeth, but we look at the overall general dental health check. We assess the health of your gums, carry out an oral cancer check and give you health advice to enable you to improve the health of your mouth, therefore preventing tooth & gum problems in the future.
 

Ensure regular visits with your dental hygienist. They will make sure those hard to reach areas are professionally cleaned; and your teeth polished in order to maintain optimum health. Healthy gums are the foundation of a healthy smile and your hygienist visit is one of the most important investments you can make in your smile!
 

Regular tooth brushing is essential! Clean your teeth at least twice a day for about 2 minutes, paying particular attention to the area where the gums meet the teeth and remeber to go slowly and carefully all round every tooth.
 

Daily flossing is also vital to remove debris that gets trapped between teeth; thereby causing tooth decay and/or bad breath. We can advise you on how to floss to make it easy - just ask! 

There is so much hidden sugar in processed foods and it's not always in the obvious places like cakes and biscuits. It can be really high in pre-prepared meals, fast food and even crisps! Quantity of sugar is one thing but also how often you consume sugar during the day can do the damage. As they say, always read the label! Have a look on the packaging of snacks and especially fruit juice which we all think is good for us but can contain one third of our daily sugar intake in one serving.  It's so sad when people, kids particularly, haven't had this advice really re-inforced for them and end up undergoing tooth removal.

It follows that it's a good idea to increase your water intake. Not only is it good for your general health, but a moist mouth will keep bad breath at bay. 

Electric toothbrushes really improve cleaning efficiency and are well worth the investment, the osscilating brushes reach places a manual tooth brush would find difficult to get to.  Again, we can advise on the best brushes and how to use them.
  

Tooth whitening is a fairly inexpensive treatment and a controversial area.  A lot of unqualified people offer to make your teeth white but your mouth is one area where you should think carefully before you economise. Whiter teeth have a huge, positive, impact on your confidence and the experts are in the best place to advise you on how to whiten teeth.  I can't help mentioning that we have a half price whitening offer on Wednesdays which means you can get dental surgery whiteness for the price non-specialists charge.

And this last one surprises a lot of people even now - remember to brush your tongue once a day!  A regular brush there will help to get rid of any bacteria that may be building up."

Salisbury House have an offer at the moment for cosmetic dentistry at only £30 for the first session and if you decide to proceed with the treatment, they take it off your first bill - it's a great way to get some good advice without laying out too much cash.

Oh and speaking of Teeth Whitening - take a look at this amazing offer from Salisbury House Dental Practice for 50% off!  No more excuses folks!