All parents have to worry about their children not brushing their teeth enough, but some also have to contend with their kids wearing them down by grinding them in their sleep. 

Plenty of adults have a condition called bruxism, which is when they grind their teeth in their sleep. However, some youngsters also have this problem. 

This could be because their teeth are not aligned properly yet, they are hyperactive or have cerebral palsy, they have an earache or are teething, or because they are stressed about something. 

Although lots of youngsters grow out of bruxism, it is a good idea to help resolve the issue, as it can lead to sensitive teeth, wearing down of the enamel, jaw pain and headaches.

The first thing to do if you think your child has bruxism is visit your dentist. They can give them a retainer for teeth grinding, which protects their teeth from rubbing against each other when they are asleep. 

This provides an extra layer between the top and bottom teeth, so the enamel does not get worn away. 

In addition to this, parents can help their kids by relieving some of their stress. For instance, they could run them a warm bath and get them to read a book or listen to music before bedtime. 
Family Doctor also recommends talking to the child about anything that is worrying them, limiting television and electronics before bed, or even booking to see a therapist.

Brushing your teeth twice a day is not just good for your oral hygiene, but it could help prevent the onset of dementia. 

This is according to researchers who discovered those who suffered from tooth loss and gum disease experienced shrinkage of the hippocampus in the brain, which can result in cognitive decline. 

Study author Satoshi Yamaguchi from Tohoku University told Newsweek: “Previous studies have shown that chronic peripheral inflammation may increase the risk of dementia and progress hippocampal atrophy, aka brain shrinkage.”

He noted that gum disease is chronic inflammation, which is why it could result in changes to the hippocampus. When it coems to tooth loss, however, the scientist suggested having fewer teeth could reduce chewing stimulation. 

Previous studies have shown that this could lead to brain deterioration, as chewing helps to maintain the hippocampus. 

“Mastication plays an important role in preserving the hippocampus-dependent cognitive function,” a report from 2015 concluded. 

Yamaguchi’s findings could have a big impact on the teeth brushing habits of Brits, as nearly half have irreversible gum disease and between 50 and 90 per cent have some sort of gum inflammation. 

In fact, only 17 per cent of adults had very healthy gums with no gum disease. 

To keep teeth in good condition, it is important to brush twice a day and floss regularly. 

It is also advisable to book an appointment with your dentistl to remove hardened plaque and undergo a deep clean treatment with high-qualty dental products.

A novel purple-coloured toothpaste that retails at £6 a tube and promises more effective teeth whitening has been slammed by a dentist.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, London-based dental surgeon Dr Vikas Prinja criticised the claims made for a product called Hismile, which is already available at Boots. He said the “science does make sense,” but the effects are limited.

Costing £6 a tube and endorsed by a bunch of celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Rita Ora, not to mention going vital on TikTok, it claims to be more effective than peroxide-based formulas in whitening teeth.

The unusually-coloured stuff is supposed to work by creating a V34 foam that breaks down the chemicals causing yellow discolouration, with an active ingredient called Phthalimido Peroxy Caproic Acid (PAP) that oxidises in the mouth when brushing.

However, Dr Prinja noted, the problem is that this chemical reaction can only happen when the substance is present, which it won’t be for long as users eat, drink and brush their teeth and the PAP is washed away.“It’s really just a temporary special effect,” he concluded.

So it seems that for all the big-name endorsements on social media, the purple toothpaste is a pointless novelty. That is why you should consider custom teeth whitening trays instead.

As Healthline notes, this is not a mythical miracle whitening cure that dissipates the next time you put something in your mouth; instead, it is the use of gels or paste on your teeth, held in place for sustained periods of time, that brings results. This happens over a period of weeks, not with a single brush. But that also means it cannot just wash away.

There is an old saying that if something looks too good to be true, it probably is. While teeth whitening trays may not have the glamour of a novelty product endorsed by celebrities and online influencers, they do actually have proven effects.

The most popular and most widely available teeth retainer on the market is the sporting mouthguard, which is used to help avoid painful and potentially dangerous dental injuries via the use of a protective material that reduces impact and movement similar to a crash helmet.

A mouthguard, sometimes known as a gumshield, is a standard part of equipment in a huge number of team sports, including boxing, mixed martial arts, cricket, rugby and gridiron football, and in such sports is often mandatory.

The road to dental protection was long, however, and whilst mouthguards predate this one infamous day on 3rd March 1927, this was the moment that combat sports started to consider mandating gumshields.

On this night in Madison Square Garden, Jack Sharkey faced Mike McTigue in a boxing match that would controversially end just 91 seconds before the conclusion of the final round, with referee Billy “Kid” McPartland stopping the fight.

Jack Sharkey was declared the winner by technical knockout, although Mr McTigue was later found to have been leading on all three judge’s scorecards. 

Mr McPartland reasoned that Mr McTigue had suffered a dangerous cut of the upper gum, later found to have been caused by a chipped tooth slicing at it, and the referee thought it would be too dangerous to continue.

This decision, whilst correct, was controversial at the time and led to an enactment of change, albeit potentially not for the right reasons.

After the fight and the suggestion by sports doctors and dentists that a protective mouthpiece would have stopped this from happening and let Mr McTigue box the last part of the fight, the perception of mouthguards would change.

Instead of being dismissed as vain as had been the case in some boxing circles in the first part of the 1920s, it became the norm, and later boxing commissions and sports authorities would make them mandatory.

You were probably taught as a child to drink your milk, as it contains calcium, which helps develop strong teeth. However, there are other foods that are great for boosting your calcium intake too. 

If you do not eat enough calcium, you risk your teeth becoming weaker, more fragile, and even falling out. According to a study, participants who were calcium deficient were more likely to lose a tooth within a year. 

Therefore, it is essential to keep calcium intake high if you want to keep your teeth for as long as possible. 

Cheese and yoghurt

It’s not just milk that contains lots of calcium, but all forms of dairy. Therefore, cheese and yoghurt are great choices for boosting calcium levels. One cup of plain whole yoghurt contains nearly 300 mg of calcium, according to Colgate. 

Seeds

Seeds are incredibly nutritious, and one of the nutrients they contain plenty of is calcium. Add some poppy, sesame or chia seeds to your porridge, yoghurt or smoothies next time you make one. 

Spinach

Spinach does not just have a high iron content, but also lots of calcium, fibre, and folic acid. It is also easy to incorporate into your meals, whether you add it to stews, have it in a salad, or eat it alongside some fish or meat and other vegetables. 

Similarly, other leafy greens, such as kale and raw collard greens are great for your teeth. 
Having strong teeth is even more important if you grind them at night time, as this can weaken them. A bruxism night guard can help protect against teeth grinding, while eating more calcium will strengthen them.

Given that dental health is incredibly important, it is perhaps not surprising that there are so many dental health and oral hygiene products on the market that make claims that range from promising to somewhat dubious.

From a bruxism-preventing tooth retainer to many different types of whitening products, the main commonality is that these products are often aggressively but carefully marketed to ensure they fall within ASA guidelines.

An example of what happens when a product doesn’t do this can be found in the sudden downfall of BreathAsure, a supposedly revolutionary breath-freshening aid with marketing fronted by George Kennedy, an Oscar-winning actor best known for acting alongside Leslie Nielsen in the Naked Gun series.

The aggressive advertising campaign claimed that the gel capsules “clean” breath from within the digestive system, compared to alternatives such as mints, gum and sprays which largely cover up the smell of halitosis.

At its height, the company went from $50,000 in savings in 1992 to over $30m in sales just five years later. However, the Better Business Bureau’s National Advertising Division investigated and found that the product did not work as advertised.

It would later find that the product did not work at all and that the water used to wash down the capsule was more effective at tackling bad breath. It then banned the company from saying that its products work at all, effectively destroying the brand entirely.

BreathAsure would eventually be banned from using the name entirely, which was a somewhat unprecedented action at the time. This would lead to a lengthy legal battle between the company, the Better Business Bureau and Warner-Lambert, now a part of drug manufacturer Pfizer.

After multiple legal defeats and injunctions against the company for continuing to sell it despite not being legally allowed to, the company declared bankruptcy and disappeared entirely.

Dental retainers are used by many people for a variety of different reasons, from helping to stop your teeth from moving out of place to preventing teeth grinding while you sleep.

Retainers require regular and thorough cleaning to ensure they stay as hygienic as possible, and do not become discoloured or get stained over time.

You should make sure to thoroughly rinse your retainer every time you remove it. This helps to remove any saliva and debris that may have built up or stuck to the retainer during the time it was worn.

When cleaning its important to make sure that you don’t use any cleaning products which are abrasive as this can cause damage to the retainer which may make it ineffective.

Using mild soap or toothpaste with a soft-bristled toothbrush will be your best option. These are safe for use on your teeth and in your mouth so therefore shouldn’t cause any damage to your retainer either.

Cleaning products such as bleach should never be used on your retainer as they are unsafe and can cause damage to the material your retainer is made of, as well as being unsafe to put in your mouth, even after thorough rinsing.

You should make a habit of cleaning your retainer every day, ideally after every meal, to prevent the build-up of bacteria, plaque, and staining or discolouration. This may not always be possible, so rinsing it after eating will suffice until you are able to clean it.

You can purchase specialised solutions which you can soak your retainers in. Many people choose to do this regularly alongside brushing and rinsing to ensure their retainer is as well maintained as possible.

Ensure you rinse your retainer after cleaning, either manually or by soaking, to reduce any residue of the product you used. This can sometimes cause irritation to your mouth, so removing it by rinsing is the safest option.

A patient who was suffering severe pain from decaying teeth ended up pulling 18 of them out himself in excruciating fashion because he could not find a dentist, his member of parliament has said.

Clive Lewis, the MP for Norwich South, raised the plight of his constituent David Spoors at Prime Minister’s Question Time, the Norwich Evening News reports. He lamented that the army veteran, who carried out the gruesome procedure in 2021, had felt forced to do so.

Mr Lewis added: “The grim fact is – Norwich and Norfolk remain dental deserts,” claiming the only way matters will improve is when the government – in the manner of a rotten tooth being attended to by a dentist – is “extracted” from office.

The prime minister began his response by saying he was “very sorry” to hear of the plight of Mr Spoors, before adding: “With regard to dentistry he will know there are record sums going into dentistry and indeed 500 more NHS dentists working today.“ He said further work is being undertaken to try to expand dental provision.

While politicians will disagree on these matters in the House of Commons, out in the country many people will hope that matters do improve so that they can stop living in ‘dental deserts.’

Organisations like the Local Government Association have been highlighting this issue, noting in a report published last autumn that the problem has been particularly acute in more rural areas. These accounted for the ten areas with the lowest NHS dental provision per head of population.

As an example of this contrast, the provision in the best-served council area, the City of Westminster in central London, was six times that of Ashfield in Nottinghamshire, the worst-served area.

While that is bad news for those who suffer from dental problems, it does highlight the value of taking extra care of your teeth. By using good dental products, you can prevent severe decay setting in.

Whilst the dental retainer is often associated with the aftercare of dental treatment or to prevent conditions such as bruxism, arguably it is most commonly used in the world of sports.

Whilst the dental mouthguard is a common and mandatory part of many contact sports in order to avoid damage to teeth and the potential consequences of having broken teeth in a sporting environment, it was not always a widely accepted part of sporting culture.

Whilst the origins of the mouthguard are somewhat shrouded in mystery given that the earliest known examples use materials such as gutta-percha that decay and disappear with age, by 1892 the dentist Woolf Krause was already fitting mouthpieces over the incisors of pugilists of the era.

This was less about protecting teeth and more about reducing the risk that these broken teeth will cut the lips and faces of the fighters. If a cut cannot be adequately controlled and is deemed to affect a boxer’s ability to fight, the match is stopped by a ringside doctor.

His son, Phillip Krause, improved the design further by replacing the gutta-percha with rubber, creating the first modern reusable mouthguard, one he was so confident in that he used it himself during his carer as an amateur boxer.

With that said, it was not always adopted without controversy. Early champion boxers such as Jack Dempsey never used a mouthpiece and one of the first championship fights with a mouthguard led to discussions about whether it provided an unfair advantage.

In the fight between Ted “Kid” Lewis and Jack Britton in 1921, the former used a gum shield and the latter’s manager argued that doing so constituted an unfair advantage.

However, by 1927, opinions had started to change completely. In a fight between Mike McTiguee and Jack Sharkey, the latter cut his lip open due to a broken tooth. As a result, was forced to resign via doctor stoppage.

With mouthguards helping to not only make the sport of boxing safer (in relative terms) but also avoid unsatisfying early ends to contests, they started to become commonplace, although it would take decades before it would become mandatory.

People with diabetes are more likely to suffer from gum disease, according to recent studies. 

In fact, it is thought nine million diabetics in Germany have periodontitis, as it is otherwise known. Their risk of having the condition is three times higher than people who are not diabetic, according to Breaking Latest. 

Romy Ermler, vice president of the German Dental Association, said: “Diabetes and periodontitis are systemic diseases and go beyond the boundaries of organs and disciplines. A holistic treatment approach is all the more important.”

Patients tend to lose a greater number of teeth than non-diabetics, while at the same time, the inflammation in the gums and periodontitis makes it harder to control blood sugar levels. This is a cyclical problem, with an imbalance in blood sugar consequently leading to greater inflammation. 

A 2012 study published in Diabetologia concluded that “diabetes is a significant risk factor for periodontitis, and the risk of periodontitis is greater if glycaemic control is poor”. 

Therefore, these results encouraged diabetics to take better control of their blood sugars to reduce the risk of having periodontitis as well. 

The NHS describes gum disease as having bleeding gums when brushing, flossing or eating hard foods, or swollen, red or sore gums. It can also result in bad breath or a bad taste, receding gums, and ultimately, teeth falling out. 

Anyone who has any of these symptoms, or ulcers, red patches or a lump in their mouth or lip, should contact their dentist straight away. 

Taking good care of teeth is essential to helping to avoid gum disease, so make sure you invest in good-quality dental products.