Brushing is not enough to keep your teeth in pristine condition says a Swindon dentist. To keep your teeth in pristine condition and disease free requires more than a quick brushing in the morning. Flossing is really important as it helps to prepare your teeth for brushing, brushing alone won`t shift the food particles trapped in between the teeth, and it is this that is your mouths worst enemy. Flossing dislodges it before the brush gets to work, then if you brush properly, using the correct brush, your mouth will be bare of food stuff, and that means the bacteria in your mouth won`t be able to produce much acid. That acid eats away at the enamel on your teeth, and once it’s gone it won`t grow back, it also makes your gums tender and subject to cuts when you eat food, those cuts allow the bacteria to enter the blood system and new research shows that it can cause heart disease. Receding gums are painful and once they are gone they can never grow back either, we are all carrying out a continuous battle against gum and tooth disease. However, help is at hand in the form of the dental super hero known as `The Dental Hygiene Nurse`, they are attached to every surgery and are there specifically to hand out advice on oral hygiene. You won`t learn oral hygiene at school, so your dentist provides this service as part of their preventative program, leaflets usually accompany the advice.
Dr Gerrard is a Bristol based Cosmetic dentist with many years of experience and is one of only a small number of dentists accredited by The British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry