For health

Looking after your teeth is an important part of living a healthy lifestyle. Everyone wants to have a beautiful smile and there are lots of things you can do to help keep your teeth healthy and looking good.

Visiting your dentist

Visiting a dentist on a regular basis will help you keep your teeth in good health. Your dentist can help prevent any problems and give you advice on how to look after your teeth between dental appointments. Keeping your teeth healthy in the first place will help ensure you don't end up in the operating chair and the best way to do that is to keep regular appointments with your dentist.

Diet

You can help keep your teeth healthy by having a healthy diet, free from sugary snacks, crisps and fizzy drinks. Smoking and drinking alcohol can cause problems with teeth, so quitting smoking, and drinking within the recommended limits, will also benefit your oral health.

Regular Brushing

Brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste is a great way to keep your teeth healthy, and brushing your teeth before bed is very important. Using a fluoride toothpaste will help protect the whole families teeth, and is much easier than buying different types of toothpaste for the children.

Dental care for children

If you have children, encouraging them to look after their teeth too will help get them into good habits from an early age. Young children sometimes need help to brush their teeth correctly so it’s a good idea to give them a helping hand until they get the hang of it! Drinking from a feeding bottle can cause decay in babies teeth, so it is best to avoid using these with children over one year old.

Children should be registered with a dentist within the first few months after they are born. Starting at such an early age helps a child get used to the dentist and lessens the chances of them being scared of the dentist as they get older. Your dentist can give you useful advice on feeding, weaning and the use of family fluoride toothpaste.

The earlier a child starts visiting the dentist, the less chance they have of developing problems with their teeth Keeping your teeth healthy in the first place will help ensure you don’t end up in the operating chair and the best way to do that is to make regular appointments with your dentist.

Remember, all children under the age of 16 are entitled to free NHS treatment.