Looking after your teeth and gums is the key to reducing the amount of dental treatment you need - avoiding gum disease and tooth decay - and keeping your mouth healthy. With the joint efforts of the dentist, the hygienist and you, the patient, fillings and extractions can be avoided or at least kept to a minimum.

When you visit your dentist, he or she can advise on getting your teeth and gums into excellent condition, and work out a plan to help you keep them that way. But there’s a lot you can do too – here we take a look at the basics of taking care of your teeth and gums.

By looking after your teeth and gums, you can expect to keep your own teeth for life. The main reason for brushing and flossing is to remove the build-up of plaque inside your mouth.

Plaque is a thin, almost invisible film of bacteria which forms constantly on the surface of the teeth and gums. When you eat foods containing sugars and starches, the bacteria in plaque produce acids which attack the outer hard surface of the tooth (the tooth enamel) and the stickiness of the plaque keeps these acids in contact with the tooth. After many of these ‘acid attacks’the tooth enamel breaks down and a hole – or cavity -- forms.