London dentist shares her tips for the perfect smile

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A leading London dentist has shared her secrets to the perfect smile. Dr Uchenna Okoye, from the London Smiling Dental Group, believes that many Brits are missing out on good oral health and attractive smiles because they use the wrong oral hygiene techniques and have poor dietary habits.

One of the main problems is maintaining good oral hygiene at home, especially as more than 30 per cent of people recently surveyed admitted that they don’t clean their teeth in the morning. For those who struggle to leave time to brush 45 minutes after eating breakfast, Dr Okoye recommends brushing before you eat, as this helps to prevent acid erosion, which weakens tooth enamel. Brushing technique is also a factor, as many people tend to brush up and down, which can actually do more harm than good, as it contributes to gum recession.

Dr Okoye also believes that it is common to brush for around 30 seconds, even though dentists recommend cleaning for a minimum of 2 minutes.

Chewing sugar-free gum can help to neutralise acids in the mouth and wash away food debris, but the advice from dentists is to chew for a short period of time only. Chewing for a prolonged period can cause the teeth to chip or break, as the teeth need something hard to break down and gum is soft, which can cause the teeth to clash against each other.

Summer is strawberry season and this is good news for those looking to enjoy a bright white smile, as strawberries are a natural stain remover. Dr Okoye recommends combining chopped up strawberries and bicarbonate of soda to form a homemade whitening paste, which can simply be applied to the teeth. Hard cheese can also be beneficial for tooth whitening.

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