Forget Cellulite, Teeth are the New Moan

If you break your leg, yes you have to go to hospital, have it set in plaster and follow up with a few visits. But essentially it mends itself. If you cut yourself, you may need a couple of stitches but more often than not, you stick a plaster on it and a few days later it's all healed. The miracle that is the human body is almost limitless. I say almost, because this ideal does unfortunately not extend to our teeth.

The little white(ish) things we use every day from breakfast to dinner are incapable of fixing themselves. A problem occurs and we move down the painful line of filling to root canal treatment to crown and finally to extraction. And of course all these treatments we suffer at ludicrously high costs. So it's no wonder that we've decided to live with cellulite and it's our mouths we're now desperate to protect. But how do we do this?

Firstly, the basics. Brush your teeth for 3 minutes, at least twice a day. Don't rely on elbow grease (remember how much easier it is to whisk egg white with an electronic device?) but choose a good externally powered toothbrush such as the HyG Ionic toothbrush which has the added benefit of being very gentle on your teeth - particularly if yours are prone to sensitivity.

Use dental floss daily and an alcohol free anti-bacterial mouthwash. Always have a glass of water after every meal and snack to wash away any excess food. Ensure your diet is varied with plenty of calcium. Cut down all sugary drinks, sweets and toffees etc - particularly anything that could get stuck in your teeth, which includes dried fruit - and generally rethink your attitude to all sugary food.

But there are ways you can help your dental status even more. Xylitol is now well known to have healthy teeth promoting qualities which is why it is widely used in sugar-free chewing gums, for example Wrigley's Orbit Complete Sugar Free Gum. Have a quick chew of this after every meal to help rid your mouth of harmful bacteria. Or even change to Xylitol instead of sugar. Fluoride, which everyone agrees is good for your teeth if it is naturally occurring, is found in tea, so if you sweeten with Xylitol, there's a double benefit for your teeth. Antioxidants too. I bet you never thought your cuppa with two could be so healthy!

Recent research has suggested that CoQ10 can protect against periodontal disease and is the latest 'key ingredient' in natural toothpastes. Other natural products that have been known to support oral health include aloe vera, myrrh (to protect against Gingivitis), green tea, tea tree oil (when you have inflammation of the gums), Calendula, cinnamon and peppermint oil for its anti-bacterial qualities. You could also try brushing with the root of a Salvadora Persica plant, also known as the 'Toothbrush Tree' which was used traditionally in India for centuries.

So while 'an apple a day' is never a bad thing, it's probably not enough to 'keep the dentist away'. But luckily there are a few more options available to you, so perhaps we'll manage to keep our own teeth (and our bank balance) for a while longer after all.

Forget cellulite, teeth are the new moan
Sam worked in the health and fitness industry for over 15 years and became more interested in the role diet and nutrition plays in people's health, so her studies took her in a more nutritional direction. She now works at http://www.totallynourish.com, who sell health products such as ionic toothbrush, xylitol sweeteners, vitamins and patrick holford supplements.