Oral hygiene 'remains important during Christmas'

People have been urged to keep taking care of their teeth during the festive season.

Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, said there is an increased risk of eating and drinking unhealthy foods at Christmas.

"So it's important that we look at establishing a good oral health routine so that we're not actually doing too much damage to our teeth," he explained.

According to Dr Carter, individuals should brush twice a day - in the morning and evening - with fluoride toothpaste for two minutes at a time.

He also advised carrying sugar-free gum, as this can increase the flow of saliva, which encourages plaque reduction and helps teeth to "recover more quickly".

His comments came as more than 70 per cent of people polled in a recent study by Wrigley claimed their biggest turn-off in making a move on a colleague at a Christmas party would be bad breath or poor teeth.  

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Private dentistry news: 8 December 2011