A smily day

Face it; smiles are a great way to brighten up the day. Whether you've just flashed your own glittering gnashers or have been on the receiving end of someone else's, smiles make it virtually impossible to carry on feeling miserable and down in the dumps.

Hardly surprising when research shows that grinning increases the production of endorphins, the body's very own mood-boosting "happiness hormones".

Yet it's not just about looking good and having the confidence to spread a ray of sunshine with our smiles. Teeth and gums are also an essential part of everyday health and well-being and deserve just as much attention and TLC as the rest of our body.

Thousands visit their dentist with toothache every year and a staggering 19 out of 20 suffer from gum disease at some stage. Although this sounds bad enough things were much worse when our parents and grandparents were children. Statistics show that 30 years ago one in three people over the age of 16 had no teeth at all.

Nowadays that's something you really have to think twice about to appreciate. Fortunately most of us keep our teeth for life these days.

Teeth benefit from a healthy balanced diet, much like the rest of our body, so to keep them in tip-top condition you should eat food from each of the major food groups and have at least five portions of fruit and veg a day.

Many of us already know about the importance of limiting sugary foods and drinks, because frequent consumption can cause decay, but remember to check food labels for "hidden" sugars such as glucose, sucrose and fructose and beware of processed foods.

Experts recommend indulging in key offenders only at mealtimes and choosing to snack on vegetables, fruit or cheese instead of more sugary options. It's also beneficial to chew sugar-free gum after meals.

Poor diet can cause a wide range of oral health problems including decay, erosion and gum disease.

Erosion occurs when the tooth enamel dissolves, sometimes revealing the darker, unsightly dentine underneath. Fizzy drinks, fruit juices, vinegar, pickles and curry can all increase the risks and erosion can result in pain, sensitivity and the shortening of teeth.

Aside from the aesthetic worries and associated discomfort and pain, poor oral health can also cause bad breath and create problems chewing, eating and speaking.

Dentists are always raising awareness on the importance of effective cleaning and "mouth maintenance", with the key message being to brush for two minutes at least twice a day - the two-minute rule.

A good brushing routine will help fight problems like tooth decay, bad breath and stained teeth while also reducing the chances of developing gum disease - which has been linked to heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and low birth weight babies.

Clinical research has found that, on average, people only brush for about 45 seconds - barely enough time to skim across all of the teeth. People should brush for two minutes twice a day with a full fluoride toothpaste. Daily flossing and regular trips to the dentist will help considerably too.

More and more people are switching to electric toothbrushes but although they're particularly handy for the disabled and those with limited dexterity, they don't always guarantee better results.

Go for designs with a rotating and oscillating head and remember to change your brush, or brush head, every three months.

Because of how teeth are positioned it's difficult to reach more than around 60 per cent of their surface, so use floss or interdental brushes to clean in-between.

Doing this at least once a day before brushing will loosen plaque and food particles which can then be washed away completely.

One in five people say they clean between their teeth on a regular basis but the reality is actually much less.

Improving your routine when you wake up and before you go to bed will be beneficial right now while creating a better, healthier future.