The top 5 daily dental habits that can protect your smile for a lifetime

Good teeth are less about occasional big efforts and more about small things done every day. If you do these five consistently, you will avoid most of the problems we treat.

1. Brush twice a day — and make the night one count

Two minutes, soft brush, 45-degree angle to the gum, fluoride toothpaste. The night-time brush is the important one: saliva flow drops while you sleep, so anything left on the teeth has all night to do damage. Spit, don't rinse.

2. Clean between the teeth once a day

Floss or an interdental brush reaches the third of each tooth surface a brush never touches. This is where most adult cavities and gum disease start. Night-time, before brushing, is ideal.

3. Be smart about snacking and drinks

It is the frequency of sugar and acid that harms teeth, not just the amount. Keep sweets and sweet or fizzy drinks to mealtimes, drink water in between, and don't sip sugary tea for an hour.

4. Drink water through the day

Water rinses away food and acid, and keeps saliva — your mouth's natural repair system — working. A quick swish of plain water after tea, coffee or a snack makes a real difference.

5. Don't ignore small signs

Bleeding gums, a tooth that reacts to cold, a rough edge, bad breath that won't go — these are early signals. Dealt with now they are simple and inexpensive; ignored for a year they often mean a root canal or an extraction.

That's the whole list. None of it is difficult — it just has to be regular.