Tulisa now has a set of dazzling white teeth
The X Factor smile is something that I'm sure we would all welcome with open arms. Remember Cheryl Cole's teeth before she had them done and now Tulisa has followed in her footsteps.
The latest research from Mintel has indicates that Britain's biggest oral care concern is having white teeth.
Unfortunately, a set of pearly whites doesn't always mean that teeth are health and looked after and is certainl no replacement for a good oral hygiene regime.
Effective as it may be, professional tooth whitening can be a costly process and needs regular maintenance in order to keep the desired effect. Oral hygiene specialist Molar Ltd has put together a practical six point plan to help you maintain the natural whiteness of your teeth and at a fraction of the price of professional treatments.
1. Avoid smoking. The nicotine and tar content in cigarettes can cause teeth to discolour. Tobacco staining can range from a yellowish tint to really unsightly dark brown depending upon how many cigarettes are smoked. Tobacco staining on the teeth can be seen within days of starting smoking in some cases. Smoking can also lead to a greater amount of bacterial plaque being produced that can lead to other dental problems such as halitosis and gum disease. The best way to avoid this is to stop smoking!
2. Avoid drinking excess amounts of red wine/coffee/coloured fruit juices/tea/blue veined cheeses as they can leave superficial stains on the surface of teeth leading to discolouration, so consume them in moderation.
3. The best way to maintain natural tooth whiteness is to make regular visits to your dentist or oral hygienist. They will be able to assess the severity of any stains and suggest an appropriate course of action to help keep your teeth clean and white.
4. Regular brushing will help to remove any superficial stains from the surface of your teeth and maintain their natural colour. Brush teeth twice a day (morning and night) using a whitening fluoride toothpaste for the recommended time of 2 minutes.
5. Given that most dental disease and the build up of plaque and tartar (calculus) starts in between the teeth, regular interdental cleaning should form an essential part of a normal oral hygiene routine. Not cleaning interdentally can leave as much as 40% of your tooth surfaces untouched and uncleaned. Use dental floss daily or a TePe Interdental brush made in a range of eight colour coded sizes so that they can be tailored to the size of each space. Using the correct sized brush for the space is important and ideally you should be guided by your dental professional. The general principle is that no brush should be forced into the space, but should be eased gently into the site and moved backwards and forwards once or twice and then rinsed under the tap before being used again.
6. Take an oral hygiene supplement such as Proden PlaqueOff daily to help reduce plaque and tartar (calculus) deposits, thus helping to maintain the natural colour of the teeth. This revolutionary supplement contains a specially selected seaweed from Norway (Ascophyllum nodosum) that has been proven to reduce plaque and tartar in humans by up to 87 per cent in a two month trial period.
Tagged in Cheryl Cole Dental Health