Dental experts reveal top common mistakes to avoid to keep your teeth clean and healthy

It’s a twice-a-day habit that many don’t give much thought to.

But dentists have now revealed that the most common mistakes people make when brushing their teeth.

From forgetting an important exercise besides brushing to brushing your teeth at the wrong time of day, Dr. Sameer Patel and Dr. Safa Al-Naher explain the ways to keep your pearly whites.

Dr. Patel, founder and clinical director of Elleven Dental in central London, explained: ‘If we don’t take care of our oral health, it can have serious consequences for our health further down the line.

“Aside from chronically bad breath (halitosis), neglecting your teeth and gums can lead to problems such as gum disease, tooth abscesses, tooth decay, infections and even tooth loss.”

Founder and Clinical Director of Elleven Dental Dr. Sameer Patel and Dr. Safa have revealed their top mistakes that you should avoid to keep your smile white and healthy

About half of adults over 30 show signs of gum disease, but dentist experts advise the top mistakes to avoid during your daily cleaning routine

Forgot to floss

Everyone knows that they should brush their teeth twice a day.

But only one in three Brits floss daily.

This is despite the NHS urging everyone aged 12 and over to do so, as brushing alone only cleans the 40 per cent of the tooth surface that a brush cannot reach.

Not only does the practice help keep gums healthy and teeth white, there is also evidence that it has other important health benefits.

Dr. Patel said: “More and more studies are showing the importance of flossing for neurological and cardiac health.

“Flossing removes plaque from below the gum line, which can erode tooth enamel and cause tartar, as well as the risk of gum disease, cavities, and the chance that your gums will become inflamed, painful, and red.”

“Be sure to floss daily for optimal tooth and gum health, as well as your overall well-being.”

Research funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) found that people with moderate to severe gum disease had a 69 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, increasing their risk of cardiovascular disease.

Dental experts strongly recommend using interdental brushes or power flossers as part of the daily cleaning routine

Gum disease forms gaps between the teeth that allow bacteria to enter the bloodstream. Researchers have found them in arteries in the heart. Once in the heart, bacteria can attack areas such as your arteries and valves, causing inflammation.

This is a natural response to an infection, but if it goes on too long, it can damage your blood vessels, including those in your heart, and can lead to or worsen coronary heart disease, according to BHF.

A review of 14 studies, by a team from NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, concluded that those who lost more teeth were 1.48 times more likely to have cognitive impairment and 1.28 times more at risk for dementia.

The best tips from Dr. Patel

• Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and floss
• Do not smoke
• Avoid biting or chewing your nails – chew sugar-free gum instead
• Limiting the intake of stains and acidic foods such as curries and chocolate
• Limiting the intake of stains and acidic drinks such as fruit juices, smoothies, red wine, coffee and energy drinks. If you drink these types of drinks, rinse your mouth with water afterwards.

Researchers therefore concluded that flossing teeth can improve oral hygiene and reduce the risk of tooth loss.

People with gum disease and tooth loss are also at greater risk of heart attacks and strokes than those with good oral health.

Experts think this could be due to the bacteria infecting the gums and damaging the blood vessels, leading to small blood clots, or that inflammation in the gums causes vascular damage throughout the body.

Dr. Safa, founder and chief dentist at Serene in west London, said: ‘It’s really important to do something to clean between your teeth because brushing alone cleans about 40 per cent of your tooth structure.

‘The rest is between the teeth. So you have to remove dental plaque with dental floss or interdental brushes or a power flosser.’

The NHS advises children to start flossing from the age of 12.

Don’t brush before going to sleep

Bedtime is the most important time to brush your teeth, experts say.

But a quarter of Britons forget to do so, surveys show.

Health chiefs are urging people to brush their teeth twice a day for about two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste to keep teeth and mouth healthy.

But the pre-bed brush is considered the most important.

This is because it is overnight that plaque — soft food particles and bacteria — can harden on the teeth, beyond which it can no longer be removed with normal brushing. Instead, a dentist or dental hygienist will have to remove this calcified dental plaque with special tools.

Plus, saliva levels — which have natural antibacterial properties — drop during sleep, making them more likely to be attacked by bacteria if food particles remain on them, explains Dr. Safa.

Dr. Safa’s ‘cheap and cheerful’ hack for healthy gums

if you want to take care of your gums, salt water is the best mouthwash for your gums, which is cheap, cheerful and readily available.

Half a cup of warm water with a teaspoon of salt is therefore sufficient to keep everything nice and healthy.

It kills the bad bacteria, but it keeps the good bacteria there

She said, “We recommend brushing twice a day. If you’re only going to brush once a day, make sure it’s the evening before bed at the end of the day.”

Wait until after breakfast to brush your teeth

Many wait until after eating their first meal of the day before brushing their teeth.

But brushing after meals can actually do more harm than good.

But Dr. Patel explained, “The inside of our mouth collects a lot of bacteria overnight.”

Eating breakfast and drinking coffee or fruit juice effectively feeds these bacteria with sugar, which forms an acid and can erode tooth enamel.

Even worse, brushing right after eating can scrape off the softened enamel, allowing this acid to enter the teeth and cause even more damage.

He added: “So it’s important to brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste in the morning, before eating.

“Your toothpaste also protects the enamel of your teeth from the acid in your food; especially if you like fruit juices or smoothies in the morning.’

Using teeth as tools

Biting off clothing tags, opening plastic containers, and removing bottle caps are ways some people can reuse their teeth.

However, dentists warn that this can lead to chipped teeth.

Dr. Patel said: ‘I’ve seen so many patients with damaged teeth and gums from years of treating their mouths like a Swiss army knife.

‘People use their teeth for all sorts of tasks.

“This is never a good idea because you risk chipping your teeth, cutting your gums, and more.”