A. Brush your teeth and gums twice every day; at night and in the morning BEFORE breakfast. Adults should clean between teeth for healthy gums. Use a fluoride toothpaste to strengthen your tooth enamel.

A. Your dentist can tell you when they to need to be replaced due to leakage, breakdown or decay. If your concern is cosmetic (how they look), then there are many new options available to replace the fillings with beautiful tooth coloured, functional long lasting restorations. Such things as white filling materials, porcelain inlays , crowns and veneers may be used to give you the smile you are seeking.

A. Electric tooth brushes can be more effective than manual brushing but they are not used in the same way a manual brush is used. Simply hold the electric brush against each tooth for 2 seconds and then move to the next tooth. Do not move the brush during this 2 second period, simply hold it steady against the tooth. Moving it like a manual brush will make it less effective! Have a look at our videos that show how to brush your teeth.

A. Not everyone needs to have a check-up every 6 months. Your dentist will recommend how often you should see them, based on your current dental health. Some patients we recommend to come every 3 months, some once a year. The frequency depends on a number of things, the health of your gums, recent tooth decay, if you are a smoker and your general health all play a role in deciding what is best suited to you. Mouth cancer screening is recommended by Cancer Research and the BDHF for all adults once a year and is part of our regular check-up service.

A. There are many products and techniques available. Some work great and some don’t work at all. Please avoid tooth ‘whitening booths’ and beauty salons for these procedures, it is illegal for them to carry out such procedures and any insurance they claim to have is not valid. To get a really great result you should use one of the products provided by your dentist who will examine your teeth and gums first to ensure it is safe and going to work for you. Our favourite system is Enlighten, it gives a great result and greatly reduces the chances of sensitivity that can occur with some of the other products.

Visit your dentist or hygienist. Treatment could be 2 to 4 appointments of deep scaling to remove calculus deposits from under & above the gums. They’ll advise you on tooth brushing, flossing, a mouthwash & use of interdental brushes.

You could have bonding (white fillings) or veneers to close the spaces .Bonding is a reversible treatment , composite filling material is moulded & ‘bonded’ to the teeth to close the space. Veneers require some drilling and will eventually need replacing.Short term orthodontics (Invisalign or Inman Aligner) may also be an option

Brushing alone can’t clean between your teeth. Plaque will build up and eventually cause gum disease or tooth decay. So YES flossing is something we should all be doing.