Our one year old (next week!) daughter is teething at the moment... each time she gets another pearly white come through it's a real achievement and it got me thinking of how much we take our teeth for granted as we get older!

Considering all the hard work we invest as children, you'd think we'd treat our teeth with kid gloves once we actually have them... but if we're really honest I'm sure there are things we could all improve about our dental hygiene!  Am I right?

Everyone wants to have a beautiful smile though don't they? With this in mind, I caught up with Nikki Berryman at Truro's Most Loved Dental Practice Pure Dental Health & Wellbeing to get to the bottom of how we can all make sure we're looking after our teeth properly!  Here are her Top Ten Tips for a Healthy Mouth and Beautiful Smile...

Notepads at the ready!  There are some real gems in here!

• Make sure that you visit your dentist for regular health checks. At Pure, not only do we check your teeth, but we look at the overall general health of your mouth. 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 professionaly 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 a must! Clean your teeth at least twice a day for about 2 minutes, paying particular attention to the area where the gums meet the teeth.

• Daily flossing is also essential to remove debris that gets trapped between teeth; thereby causing tooth decay and/or bad breath.

• Electric toothbrushes have been proven to improve cleaning efficiency, the osscilating brushes reach places a manual tooth brush would find difficult to get to.

• Watch your sugar intake. There is a lot of hidden sugar in processed foods such as pasta sauce and even crisps! It is not the quantity of sugar but the frequency that does the damage. Sugary snacks and fruit juices throughout the day means teeth are constantly bathed in sugar, causing tooth decay. If you are concerned, keep a food diary to monitor your intake.

• Increase your water intake. Not only is it good for your general health, but a moist mouth will keep bad breath at bay.

• A good quality whitening toothpaste will ensure a sparkling smile!

• Tooth whitening is fairly inexpensive treatment and something that is easy for patients to carry out themselves at home. Whiter teeth have a huge, positive, impact on clients confidence.

• Remember to brushe your tongue once a day to get rid of any bacteria that may build up here.