Susannah Taylor: Something to smile about! 

Susannah Taylor: Something to smile about!

Never tried an electric toothbrush? Been using the same toothpaste since childhood? Then it’s time to update your regime, because our mouths are often a reflection of our overall health. From water flossers to smart toothbrushes, here’s how to care for those pearly whites 2021 style…

Goodbye toothpaste tube, hello tablets

Although big brands dominate the toothpaste market, there are lots of smaller names shaking things up, many of which use natural ingredients such as green tea or charcoal. While I’m all for a natural approach, dentists stress that toothpaste must contain fluoride to prevent decay – it’s the reason most of us won’t have to sleep with our teeth next to the bed in old age.

One environmentally friendly brand that also contains fluoride is Brushd, and its Toothpaste Tablets (from £4.99 for 62, brushd.co.uk) look set to make the tube a thing of the past. Just pop one in your mouth, chew and brush. 

Fun while you floss

We all know that we should floss to remove plaque and yesterday’s food from our teeth, but how many of us actually do? Well, there are now a host of new flossers to get you into the habit. First up, Cocofloss (£9, goop.com), which is made with over 500 interwoven filaments that snatch plaque and debris from between the teeth (like a teeny loofah) and comes in flavours such as Cara Cara Orange and Fresh Coconuts (right).

Alternatively, for fun while you floss, try a water flosser – an electric hand-held contraption that you fill with water and fire between your teeth and at your gumline. Admittedly, after trying the WaterPik Water Flosser (£55, boots.com) I looked like I’d had a fight with a shower head, so they do take a bit of practice to use.

Brush up on bamboo

Around 268 million plastic toothbrushes end up in landfill each year, says Brushd. But the brand’s bamboo brushes (£3.90, brushd.co.uk) with charcoal bristles are set to change that, as they can be thrown in the compost bin when worn out. Brushd also does heads to fit Oral-B and Philips Sonicare electric toothbrushes (£5.99 for two), with a pre-paid compostable bag for your old brush head that they will recycle for you. Genius.

How smart are these?

For me, there’s no going back from my Philips DiamondClean Sonic Electric Toothbrush (£105, boots.com) – it’s the difference between using a dustpan and brush or a vacuum cleaner to clean the floor. Oscillating at a high, smooth vibration, it’s said to remove ten times more plaque than brushing manually. The latest development in electric toothbrushes, however, is the use of artificial intelligence in the Oral-B Genius X (left, £300, boots.com). Oral-B’s research shows that 80 per cent of people miss an area in their mouth, and sensors in the Genius X brush will tell you where this is (via an app), then give you a score out of 100.

@susannahtaylor_

 Ways to avoid ‘mask mouth’

This is a hot topic among dentists right now. The phrase refers to the side effects of wearing a face covering for a prolonged period of time – think a dry mouth and a decrease in saliva, which then impacts our oral microbiome, causing smelly breath, gingivitis and increased dental decay. To combat this, Dr Maria Papavergos (aka @thelifestyledentist) reveals her top tips…

  •  Stay hydrated: ‘Always carry a water bottle around with you and take regular sips to keep your oral microbiome balanced.’
  •  Try a tongue scraper: ‘The bad bacteria responsible for odorous compounds live on your tongue,’ Maria says. If you usually brush your tongue you may be just moving bacteria around in your mouth, so a tongue scraper will help get rid of all the smelly gunk, especially at the back. Try Brushd’s stainless steel scraper (below, £3.99, brushd.co.uk).
  •  Brush up your brushing skills: ‘Always hold your toothbrush at 45 degrees to the gumline to remove plaque and prevent gum disease.’

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