Brushing: top tips for your patients

As dentists, we know there's a lot of confusion around the best way to brush your teeth, sometimes not helped by contradictory headlines in the national press.

Here are Professor Damien Walmsley's top tips for your patients, with some popular myth busters thrown in, to help make sure their smiles stay healthy.

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Brushing top tips for your patients

Brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste not only helps prevent tooth decay and gum disease and it can also prevent bad breath.
Your dentist or hygienist can show you how best to brush your teeth and give you advice and support on having a good oral hygiene routine.
If you are a parent, it's really important to start teaching your child oral hygiene habits as soon as their first baby teeth come through (usually around 6 months old).
Children need to be supervised when they brush until the age of seven, to make sure they are brushing correctly, and for long enough
Teeth are often forgotten about, but they are important not just for your oral health but also for your general health and well-being.
If you have a healthy diet, brush your teeth and visit your dentist regularly, you will minimise your risk of having oral health problems.

Myth busters on brushing

Read our myth busters on brushing teeth, from how often to brush, if flossing is necessary, and why it's important for people of all ages to ensure their teeth are looked after.

Where can I find out more?

The NHS has great up-to-date advice and tips on how to brush teeth and dental health more widely.

The Oral Health Foundation is an independent charity focusing on promoting good oral health and provides information for patients.

Campaigning for better oral health

When it comes to oral health, we believe in prevention first: tooth decay is an avoidable disease and we are campaigning for Government's to take this problem seriously, to act now and invest in real prevention. Read our latest blogs on the topic of public health in dentistry.

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