Follow these steps to healthy teeth and gums
Oral Health Month is back this month and are you doing enough to make sure that you have the teeth and gums there is possible?
Oral Health is one of the gateways to general health and well-being and growing research continues to draw links between gum disease and serious health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, strokes and pre-term low-birth-weight babies.
To help you make the most of your assests, leading oral health specialist Molar has put together the following tips and advice to help optimise your dental health, leaving you with a smile that's more Cheryl Cole than Shane MacGowan.
STEP ONE:
Nothing will take the shine off a sparkling smile quicker than bad breath. First, do the quick lick and sniff test to find out if breath is less than fresh. Lick the inside of your wrist and leave it to dry for a few seconds. Then sniff it. You’ll soon know if there’s a problem. 
STEP TWO:
Plaque bacteria are the major cause of gum disease, dental decay and bad breath. In addition to a balanced diet, regular cleaning and dental checkups, try taking ProDen PlaqueOff capsules - a revolutionary dental hygiene food supplement, derived from seaweed to combat tartar and plaque build-up. Rich in natural iodine, the seaweed triggers saliva to soften existing calculus/tartar, and helps prevent new layers from forming. In clinical trials, improvements were seen in as little as five-eight weeks. After 16 weeks, plaque and tartar was reduced by up to 86 per cent.
STEP THREE:
Plaque is a sticky, colourless film of predominantly bacteria that constantly forms on teeth. If not removed effectively on a daily basis it can lead to gum disease, dental decay and bad breath. Now everyone can keep a check on how clean their teeth are with the Plaqsearch disclosing solution. Recommended and used professionally by many dental practices, this two-tone solution for home use will highlight problem spots, helping the user to identify areas they should clean more thoroughly. Available in a cotton bud applicator or easy-to-chew tablets, Plaqsearch works by using natural vegetable dyes which colour plaque bacteria either blue or red; allowing you to differentiate between new plaque (which stains red) and more harmful older plaque (which stains blue). 
STEP FOUR:
Clean your tongue. Use a Tongue Detox regularly. Tongue scrapers don’t sound sexy, but they work. With their uneven surface, tongues are a playground for bacteria and a build-up can be a prime contributor to bad breath and the formation of plaque on teeth. Try TongueDetox to prevent bad breath and revive taste buds. Place at the back of the tongue, gently press down and pull forward. Used daily after brushing, it’s a quick and easy way to remove bacteria and food debris.
STEP FIVE:
Given that most dental disease starts in between the teeth, regular interdental cleaning using either floss or Interdental Brushes, should form an essential part of a normal oral hygiene routine. If choosing Interdental Brushes, to effectively clean all spaces between the teeth, you may need to use more than one brush size, so the mixed packs are ideal for people trying them out for the first time. TePe Interdental Brushes Mixed Pack are the most recommended brand and the easiest to find in shops and at dental practices. Ideal for customers who need extra help reaching spaces between teeth, they are also useful around bridges, implants and for making oral health easier for people with orthodontic appliances (braces). Comfortable and easy to use, they come in eight different sizes for reaching into even the tightest of tooth spaces to flush out trapped food and prevent plaque buildup.
Femalefirst Taryn Davies
Tagged in Health Dental Health