Did you know that half of British adults are unhappy with their smile, a fact from research commissioned by Straight Teeth Direct. This can be due to a number of factors, such as misaligned or discoloured teeth, gaps, or even missing teeth.

The good news is that dentistry offers a variety of solutions to help improve the look of your smile. One option is teeth whitening, which can help brighten stained or discoloured teeth. It is important to have your teeth cleaned before you bleach so you remove the stains first. You bleach the teeth, not the stains. Another option is orthodontic treatment, such as braces or Invisalign. While braces are more traditional and typically used for children, adults do use them, but usually don´t like to as they are so obvious in the mouth and take time to realign teeth and close gaps, up to 2 years or more. Invisalign on the other hand is a customized digital treatment plan in which a patient wears a set of aligners/trays that are changed every 1-2 weeks and the process can take as little as 6 months.

For those with missing teeth, dental implants or dentures both partial or full depending on if you have remaining teeth, can provide a natural-looking replacement. And if you have chipped or damaged teeth, dental bonding, composite restoration, veneers or crowns can help restore their appearance.

Improving your smile isn’t just about cosmetic benefits. It can also improve your overall dental health. Straighter teeth are easier to clean and reduce the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Replacing missing teeth can prevent other teeth from shifting out of place, leading to occlusion problems / bite problems and even more dental and TMJ (temporomandibular joint) issues in the future.

If you’re unhappy with your smile, make a dental appointment to speak with your dentist about your options. With innovative dental techniques and technology, achieving the smile you’ve always wanted is even more possible than ever before.

Maintaining good oral hygiene takes among other things, regularly brushing your teeth. Tell me something I don´t know, you may say.

Dental associations around the world recommend brushing your teeth twice a day, for two minutes each time. That means brush after breakfast for two minutes and again at night for another two minutes. That is a whopping four minutes out of your day and yet not everyone follows this recommendation. More people than you might think actually go through the day only brushing once. While that is better than not brushing at all which is essentially 2% of the population, it actually increases your chances of incurring costly dental treatment later on.

Brushing your teeth twice a day as is suggested by dental professionals has a few advantages, it saves the embarrassment of having bad breath and stained teeth.

By brushing only once a day:

1. Cavities are almost a certainty and that increases your risk by 33%. When you brush your teeth, it helps to remove food particles and the sticky substance containing bacteria that forms on your teeth called plaque. This bacteria-containing plaque produces acid which attack tooth enamel and if not removed causes cavities.

2. Increases your chance of getting gum disease – only brushing once every 24 hours creates a feast for the existing bacteria in your mouth. The plaque that isn’t removed hardens and becomes tartar which makes it harder to keep the teeth clean. Tartar build-up on your gums leads to inflammation and bleeding gums that causes gum disease. This is also known as periodontal disease.

3. Can lead to more dental treatment. Needing a one-off filling is one thing and can happen to the best of us, but brushing only once a day almost guarantees more fillings and bigger fillings. Sometimes the tooth is decayed to the point of needing root canal treatment or a crown. Those costs can be avoided by adding another two minutes a day to your brushing routine.

One of the best ways to care for your teeth and gums is simple. Regular brushing. And that means twice a day. After meals.

Adding flossing to your routine is also beneficial, but that is for another day.

Dentistry, much like art, requires fingerspitzengefühl, a term taken from German, literally meaning “finger tips feeling” or intuitive flair or instinct. In today´s world of cosmetic dentistry it is the combination of fingerspitzengefühl along with skill, precision, intuition, architecture, engineering, medical science and artistry all working together in harmony to create not just a beautiful smile, but a functional smile.

Dentists learn the importance of the foundation of a healthy smile organically and through the advancement of imaging techniques such as periapical (also known as intraoral), panoramic, and cephalometric x-rays, a dentist can digitally capture images of your teeth and gums to evaluate your overall oral health to develop treatment plans for patients. There is however, much more that goes into a healthy, beautiful smile than a series of x-rays.

As dentists know the biology and physiology of the oral cavity and surrounding structure, it is not just through imaging, but also through observation and the clinical judgement of the dentist to make a diagnosis and plan of treatment. Photography and effective communication with patients to determine their expectations and what is actually possible also plays a vital role.

While science has propelled dentistry forward in the last 30 years it is that fingerspitzengefühl, that keen eye for detail, that eye for beauty, that instinct for the shape of teeth that corresponds with the age, skin colour, shape of lips, the proportion of teeth that show and the overall shape of the face of a patient that help determine the final result of any restoration, especially a smile make-over.

Having state of the art materials and equipment in the hands of a passionate dentist, with the right eye and fingerspitzengefühl, can only be a formula for success to achieve optimal balance between fit, appearance and function.

Yes, flossing helps to remove plaque and debris from between the teeth and along the gumline, where a toothbrush cannot reach. This can help to reduce inflammation and bleeding in the gums, prevent tooth decay and gum disease, and promote overall oral health. It is important to floss daily and use proper technique to achieve the best results.

A 2006 study published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology found that brushing alone was not as effective at reducing bleeding gums as brushing and flossing together. The study included 51 sets of twins, and researchers found that twin pairs who flossed in addition to brushing had significantly less bleeding on probing (a measure of gum health) than those who only brushed. This suggests that flossing can help to reduce inflammation and bleeding in the gums, and is an important part of maintaining oral health.

Many people who suffer from sensitive or bleeding gums may be tempted to avoid flossing for fear of making their gums bleed more. The fact is, flossing can improve the health of your gums and as a result helps to prevent them from bleeding.

The fact is, flossing daily, together with brushing and rinsing, helps protect against gingivitis by removing plaque and food particles. This helps keep your teeth and gums healthy, while giving you a beautiful smile.

You want a beautiful smile no matter your age? Floss!

To brush your teeth properly, follow these steps:

1. Wet your toothbrush and add toothpaste.

2. Hold your toothbrush against your teeth at a 45-degree angle.

3. Use gentle circular motions to brush the fronts, backs, and tops of your teeth.

4. Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen breath.

5. Spit out the toothpaste and rinse your mouth and toothbrush with water.

6. Brush for at least two minutes, twice a day.

For good dental health it’s also important to floss your teeth at least once a day to remove plaque and food particles from between your teeth that your toothbrush can’t reach.

For most people a visit to your dentist or dental hygienist every 6 months for cleaning is a must. Book your dental appointment today.