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It is important to clean your teeth at least twice a day, especially last thing at night. Usually two minutes is enough to remove plaque and clean properly. Some people find using a stop-watch or timer useful as two minutes is often longer than you think. If you eat or drink certain foods you may need to clean more often. Many electric toothbrushe have two minute timer built-in to help with the correct brushing time.

Adults
It is usually recommended that adults should choose a toothbrush which is small to medium sized with multi-tufted, soft to medium filaments (bristles). These filaments should be round ended and made from nylon. This is important so that you do not damage your teeth or gums with any sharp bristles.

There are several toothpastes available which are designed for different needs. There are toothpastes for gum health, sensitive teeth, those for smokers, those with anti-bacterial agents, and others which claim to whiten the teeth. Your dentist will tell you and your family the most suitable toothpaste for your needs.

Use interdental brushes once a day and before you use your regular toothbrush. Avoid the use of toothpaste and antiseptics on the interdental brushes. Line the brushes in sizes and begin with the largest first and move down to the smallest in turn so that all areas achieve a close fit and optimum clean.

Curving the brush head will help you to prevent catching the inside of your gum and reach deeper into the pockets. Start at the upper space at the back of the mouth, if you are right handed start on the right side with the teeth only slightly apart.

For secondary prevention we recommend long stem interdental brushes without a handle to avoid crumpling. Hold the bristle end at the tip (like holding a pen). Ease gently but firmly between the teeth slightly compressing any spongy gum. Holding the bristles gives improved grip and patients with poor dexterity or big fingers may get better access from the palate for some posterior teeth.

Wiggle the brush through to the inside until almost all the bristles have gone between the teeth and wiggle out again. Do not scrub back and forth as this is not needed if the fit is snug.

Proper flossing removes plaque and food particles in places where a toothbrush cannot easily reach — under the gumline and between your teeth. Because plaque build-up can lead to tooth decay and gum disease, daily flossing is highly recommended.

To receive maximum benefits from flossing, use the following proper technique:Starting with about 18 inches of floss, wind most of the floss around each middle finger, leaving an inch or two of floss to work withHolding the floss tautly between your thumbs and index fingers, slide it gently up-and-down between your teethGently curve the floss around the base of each tooth, making sure you go beneath the gumline. Never snap or force the floss, as this may cut or bruise delicate gum tissueUse clean sections of floss as you move from tooth to toothTo remove the floss, use the same back-and-forth motion to bring the floss up and away from the teeth

1) Choose a flavor you like. It won't do you any good if the mouthwash just remains in the bottle in the medicine cabinet. Ignore the marketing of any specific flavor of mouthwash and try a few until you find the flavor you like. It goes without saying that if you like the flavor of the mouthwash you are more apt to use it regularly. The flavors of mouthwash today run the gamut from mint to cinnamon and even bubble gum.

2) Don't eat or brush for at least 30 minutes after using mouthwash. This allows the chemicals in the mouthwash to kill bacteria and work on the freshening your breath. Even teeth brushing may remove the chemicals from your mouth making them less effective.

3) You must swish or gargle with the mouthwash for at least 30 seconds. This gives the mouthwash time to coat all the surfaces of your mouth. Be sure and spit the mouthwash out after. Don't swallow the mouthwash as they can make you sick if you do so.

Most toothpastes contain a certain amount of fluoride, which has been proven to reduce dental decay considerably. We recommend using a fluoride toothpaste to prevent decay.

There are many ways in which smoking can affect your dental health. As well as staining your teeth and causing bad breath, smoking can also worsen the health of your gums, leading to serious gum disease.

In a non-smoker's mouth, one of the first signs of gum disease would be bleeding gums and this would probably prompt you to see your dentist. However, smoking affects the circulation and, in the mouth of a smoker, gum disease can be present with little or no bleeding, so that you may be unaware that anything is wrong.

Smokers are also much more likely to develop oral cancer (cancer of the lips, tongue and other soft tissues in the mouth).

If you are thinking of giving up smoking, you can call the NHS quit smoking helpline on 0800 022 4 332, they can provide you with reasons why you should do this and the best ways to go about it, with lots of helpful hints.

Spending an afternoon sucking on sticky sweets or hard lollies will do more damage to your teeth than eating an entire chocolate bar in one go. The sticky sweets tend to get stuck in your teeth and then combine with the bacteria in your mouth to produce acids that attack and damage tooth enamel.

The situation is exacerbated if you eat one sticky sweet every half hour because the balance of acid in your mouth never gets a chance to recover. This is when cavities start to form. It is not the level of sugar in your diet that rots your teeth, it is how you choose to eat it.

The best tactic is to cater to your sweet tooth at meal times, when increased saliva production will help your mouth cope. Saliva works to naturally neutralise the bad acids and wash away food particles.

Another good idea is to try and limit the number of sweet foods you snack on throughout the day. Doing this successfully is a great way to avoid painful fillings and dental problems.

Try these healthy snacks that don't attack your teeth:

- Celery & carrot snacks with hommous or avocado dip
- Vegemite crackers with cheese
- Plain yoghurt, fresh fruit and nuts

When you do eat or drink a high-sugar snack there are tricks to minimise the damage to your teeth. After your snack, rinse your mouth with water, eat a small piece of cheese or chew some sugar-free gum. Cheese provides calcium to replace the minerals lost by the bacteria produced acid, and helps to even up the bacterial balance in your mouth. Chewing gum stimulates the flow of saliva. If you choose to have a soft drink, use a straw. This will limit the amount of sugar touching your teeth.

The best drinks for teeth are plain water or milk. Drinking coffee and tea will stain your teeth and dry your mouth out. Drinks high in caffeine inhibit your saliva's ability to combat tooth decay. Acidic fruit juice, such as orange juice, can also attack your teeth. This is because it alters the acidic balance in your mouth and leaves your tooth enamel vulnerable. To avoid damaging your teeth, remember to wait at least an hour after consuming acidic food or drink before brushing your teeth.

Most children and adults should see their dentist for a regular cleaning and check up every six months. People at a greater risk for oral diseases should have dental check ups more than twice a year. Tobacco and alcohol use, diabetes, pregnancy, periodontal and gum disease, poor oral hygiene and certain medical conditions are some of the many factors that your dentist takes into consideration when deciding how often you need your dental cleaning and check up.

Going to your regular check ups will help to keep your gums and teeth healthy as well as detect any early problems such as gum disease, oral cancer and cavities. The best way to maintain good oral health is to visit your dentist on a regular basis.