Brush your teeth twice daily using a toothpaste containing fluoride. To get the most benefit from the fluoride, do not rinse the toothpaste away after brushing.

Clean between your teeth using dental floss, woodsticks or an inter-dental brush according to your dentist's advice. Visit your dentist regularly. This way, problems can be diagnosed early and your treatment will be more straightforward.

What should I do if I have toothache?

If you have toothache, seek immediate advice from your dentist before the problem becomes severe.

Pulpitis is often reversible and, once your dentist has identified and treated the problem (usually with a simple filling), the toothache will disappear. A dental abscess will require extraction of the tooth or a more complicated filling (root canal treatment ) if the tooth is to be saved.

However, the following advice may be helpful until you are able to see your dentist:

--avoid hot, cold or sweet stimuli. This will help prevent pain from pulpitis.
--if the pain is prolonged and severe, painkillers such as ibuprofen (eg Nurofen) may provide some relief. Remember even if the pain goes away, without treatment it will eventually become worse.
if the pain is caused by exposed root surfaces, toothpaste for sensitive teeth, either used normally or rubbed onto the exposed root, may be helpful.
--a hot saltwater mouthwash (a teaspoon of salt to a cup of water) used to thoroughly rinse the painful area may help if the problem is caused by a tooth erupting.
--a saltwater mouthwash can also prevent infection if you have mouth ulcers.
visit your dentist as soon as possible. This way any treatment will be simple.