We Took The Love Your Mouth Challenge With Aquafresh

We were recently asked to take the Love Your Mouth challenge from GlaxoSmithKline, who make leading toothpaste brands such as Sensodyne, Corsodyl, Poligrip and Aquafresh.

The aim of the challenge is to get people to understand that everyone's mouth is unique and will have different needs, so using specialised dental products is important.

You simply complete an online quiz, either for yourself of your kids which asks questions about your dental health - for example do you spit blood when you brush, do your teeth twinge when you sip hot drinks and do you wear a partial denture.

Depending on your answers, your recommended dental product is shown.

I completed the quiz for Caitlin and Ieuan and was recommended a brand with which we are already familiar and have used many times - Aquafresh My Big Teeth - since they are both over 6 years old.

We have used Aquafresh Milk Teeth and Aquafresh Little Teeth toothpastes too as dental hygiene is so important for good health and we have ensured that the kids have stuck to a strict teeth-cleaning regime from the moment their teeth started to appear.

We make sure that they both brush for the recommended 2 minutes each time and we were sent a sweet little 'tooth timer' to make sure they stick to this time properly.  You can also download the Love Your Mouth app which lets your kids brush a long to a song for 2 minutes.

Did you know that children's enamel is 50% thinner than an adult's? Their teeth need a little extra care to help avoid tooth decay and ensure they grow healthy and strong.

You can find some top tips about how to get your kids to look after their teeth and gums in this video.



Aquafresh My Big Teeth with Sugar Acid Protection is a gentle, foaming toothpaste specially designed for children six+ years plus. The Sugar Acid Protection helps strengthen enamel and protects not only their milk teeth from decay, but also their new adult teeth.

Aquafresh My Big Teeth comes in child friendly mint flavour. It is priced from £1.20 and available from Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s, Waitrose, Boots and Superdrug.

And grown-ups should make sure they avoid the 7 Oral Health Sins:-

Sin 1 - not brushing for 2 minutes
Sin 2 - using a finger nail to floss and adding lots of yucky bacteria to your mouth
Sin 3 - rinsing with water after brushing - don't wash away the fluoride protection from your toothpaste
Sin 4 - not brushing your teeth twice a day
Sin 5 - using the same toothbrush for longer than 3 months
Sin 6 - not using specialist products
Sin 7 - infrequent dental visits

Are you guilty of any of those?

For more information on the Love Your Mouth challenge go to LoveYourMouth.co.uk.

*PR samples were received for the purpose of this post.

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3 Cosmetic Dental Treatments You Need To Know About

If you’re not completely satisfied with your smile, you may find that you lack confidence. So instead of being held back by your teeth, why not do something about it?

To get you up to speed on what’s available, here are three cosmetic dental treatments you need to know about.

1. Veneers

Whether your teeth are crooked, discoloured or you have a gap that you’re unhappy with, you could consider getting dental veneers. Veneers are made from layers of porcelain and act as new facings for your teeth.

To ensure the veneers look natural and fit you properly, your teeth are filed back so that the artificial facing can be placed on top. After the treatment, you will be left with a sparkling smile you’ll be proud of.

Since this is quite an in depth procedure to have, it’s important that you choose a trusted dentist that’s located near to you. The good news is, there are a number of private practices you can visit, so whether you’re looking for veneers in Manchester, Birmingham, London or elsewhere, you shouldn’t struggle to find the right one for you.

2. Implants

An alternative option to removable dentures, dental implants are artificial teeth that offer a fixed, permanent way for you to enjoy a full smile.

This treatment is especially useful for those who may have a mouth that can no longer support dentures, and it can be used to replace anything from a single tooth to several teeth.

When dental implants are fitted, metal screws made from titanium are drilled directly into the jaw bone to hold the replacement tooth in place. The implants are tailored to fit your mouth properly, and once it’s done, you should be left with a full set of pearly whites to enjoy.

3. Teeth whitening

It’s no secret that what we put into our mouth can take it’s toll on the colour of our teeth, especially drinks such as tea, coffee and red wine. Smoking can also make your teeth look discoloured and stained.

A stunning, white smile is something a lot of people are desperate to attain. The good news is, teeth whitening can help you achieve just that.

This procedure involves having your teeth bleached to make them appear lighter and it’s a treatment that should always be carried out by a regulated dentist. Teeth whitening is not a one off procedure - your dentist will give you a special bleaching gel and mouthguard to use at home for a specified period of time.

Having your teeth whitened by a dentist may cost more than using an off-the-shelf kit from a pharmacy or supermarket, but it's a much safer approach.

With so many different dental treatments available, there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy a full, beautiful smile.

*collaborative post

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40% of Brits Don't Brush Their Teeth At Least ONCE A Day?

Over 40% of Brits, over 24 million of us, don't brush our teeth at least once a day, according to research undertaken by White Glo toothpaste.

This goes some way to explaining why the guests of Jeremy Kyle's morning TV show are so dentally challenged.

A quarter of those surveyed admitted they are concerned about the colour and health of their teeth with a third saying that they notice discoloured teeth on others.

Although many of us don't bother to clean our teeth, we will admit to being too self-conscious to show our teeth.

Brits aged between 26-34 were found to be the worst at caring for their teeth, with over half not brushing at least once a day (50.87%) whilst the most conscious 'brushers' are the over 55 age group (68%).

The three counties with the best oral hygiene and the lowest number who don’t brush at least once a day were the North East (23%), South East (33%) and East Anglia (37%).

Surprisingly, the three worst offenders were London (47%), Northern Ireland (47%) and Wales (45%).

The research, based on a survey of 2,000 UK adults, was conducted to find out Brits’ feelings towards teeth, not just their own but also those of other people.

Nearly a quarter (23%) admit to be ashamed of their own teeth, with 40% admitting they would never show their teeth whilst smiling and 41% feeling too self-conscious to show their teeth in a photograph.

1 in 10 (10%) admitted to never showing their teeth in any photo.

Surely we all know that brushing your teeth at least twice a day is important to keep teeth and gums healthy?

I've made no secret of the issues I've had with mine but are we Brits really that atrocious at looking after our teeth?

Discolouration, which can be caused by smoking, coffee, tea and other strongly coloured foods and drinks was the biggest concern, with a third (33%) admitting that they noticed discoloured teeth on others and nearly a quarter (23%) admitting that they are concerned about the colour of their own teeth, according to the research.

I don't know about you but I really notice someone's teeth.

I also can't understand why we would take so much care with our skin and hair but neglect an aspect of our appearance so glaringly obvious to others.

If you lose your teeth your face sags.  There is less structure to support your complexion.

No amount of skincare products, luxury or otherwise, is going to help that.

It's the same logic as investing hundreds of pounds on expensive skin products whilst continuing to smoke or drink heavily.

The research says that there may be a glimmer of hope because the stars of programmes like TOWIE and celebrities like Simon Cowell and Rylan Clark flash such bright, white smiles.

There's a healthy, pearly white and then there's the sort of day glo brightness which ensures that you'll never be lost in a cave. I tend to prefer the latter.  When Stacie Soloman appears in those clothing adverts I am so dazzled I never remember what she's wearing.

Using a low abrasion, daily whitening toothpaste is a safe way to gently return teeth to their former glory and lift the teeth a few shades whiter.

As parents we surely spend hours drumming the importance of daily tooth brushing into our kids. We started to clean Caitlin's and Ieuan's teeth from the moment they appeared.

Why would we not invest the same care in our own mouths?

My teeth are still going after nearly 50 years

If you're a dental malingerer for heaven's sake get the toothpaste out and give yourself something to smile about.

Twice daily brushing or the lovely sound of the dentist's drill?

I know which I'd choose.

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Toothy Tales Of Sugar From The Vale

Well, thank the Lord!  After today's rather belated dental check-up I am happy to report that the kids have clean, healthy teeth.  

We are blessed with a very child friendly dental practice just around the corner so off we duly trotted after school.

The lady dentist allowed the kids to play with the chair's mechanics and even with the water gun.  I don't remember being allowed to enjoy myself to that extent when I was their age.  

Both dutifully lay in the chair for their examination whilst grim articles from the learned tome, The Daily Mail, on the dangers of sugar laden drinks and snacks played through my mind.

The Media has made much, lately, of the dangers of sugar which seems to be the new enemy. I bought a copy of Sarah Wilson's much vaunted "I Quit Sugar" at the weekend and although she makes it seem easy, in reality the prospect of a sugar free life doesn't seem appealing - even when you know that current research shows sugar to be implicated in liver disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia (to name a few).  

It is also said to be a major factor in premature ageing (and I though that was having kids!). I'm not sure I can see myself blending pumpkins (a key ingredient in many of her recipes) or replacing biscuits with nuts.

Recently two of the companies in Rosemary Conley's Diet Empire went into administration which, I suppose, with hindsight isn't too much of a surprise.  I have been a great advocate of Rosemary's Hip & Thigh diet, having lost 2 stone on it to shift the baby weight but recently the weight has been reappearing (well 7lbs but that's enough to depress me) and I suspect it's because some of the 'treats' and 'power snacks' you can choose are extremely high in sugar. 

Low Fat is now no longer being seen as the automatic diet of choice. I know that the 5:2 diet is popular but the idea of spending two days just eating 500 calories seems onerous and, when you have kids, rather impractical.

I have been tempted by the Weight Watchers Simple Start Diet but I wish you could find out more about it without having to sign up. The Weight Watchers products I have tried recently (wraps and soups) have been rather tasteless and their Jaffa rolls, although only 77 calories each, are really high in sugar.

I'm wondering if Rosemary wrongly attributed her weight loss to removal of high fat foods from her diet when it was actually reducing her sugar intake that did the trick?  Very difficult to say.

Anyway I am redoubling my efforts to reduce the level of sugar in the kids' diets (did you know Frosties are 37% sugar and don't even think about Nesquik) and that of mine and the hubby. 

Eating good food is such a joyful experience - preserving that and reducing the sugar is going to be a challenge. It'll be worth it if we keep the weight off and stay filling free though.

What do you think?  Are you reducing the sugar in your diet?

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