The chic way to clean your teeth

From titanium toothbrushes to mojito mouthwash, CLAIRE COLEMAN reveals

FOR years, americans used the term ‘British teeth’ as derogatory shorthand for anyone not blessed with a bright, white Hollywood smile. But, according to recent findings, they may have to come up with a new insult — because we’re now forking out more on our teeth than they are.

We spent a whopping £1billion on dental products in 2013, and that figure is set to increase by as much as 22 per cent by 2018.

What’s more, a new study by university College london and Harvard university found British dental health is, in fact, no worse than that of the americans.

if you’ve visited the dental aisle in the supermarket lately, this will perhaps come as no surprise. after all, where once our only choices for taking care of our teeth were hard bristles or soft, blue or pink, now there are untold numbers of toothbrushes.

and that’s before you get to the toothpaste or ‘tooth cleansers’, as they’re now often known — no longer just ‘mint’, but in mouthwatering flavours and prettily packaged like beauty products. Here’s our guide to the new, chic ways to clean your teeth . . .

DESIGNER TOOTHBRUSHES

FORgET bristles — Foreo’s issa toothbrush (from £89, look fantastic.com) not only comes in a rainbow of colours, but it also looks stunning and is made entirely from silicone.

This, the manufacturer claims, means your toothbrush head is not only more hygienic than a conventional bristle one (because the silicone is nonporous and dries quickly, so resists bacterial build-up), but is also more durable, so it lasts for a year. The maker also says you’ll get a whopping six months out of a single charge.

That said, the product doesn’t seem to have any research to support its efficacy and user opinion is divided — some say the head is too big and the bigger, softer ‘bristles’ mean teeth never feel properly clean, while others with sensitive gums rave about it.

Philips upped the ante on electric toothbrushes a few years back with DiamondClean (£250, philips.co.uk), which charges via a sleek uSB case and comes in a host of slick colours.

and now it has an optional tongue cleaning head (£16). This small, flat, silicone head has 240 microbristles, which, along with the vibrations generated by the toothbrush, apparently help to work the antibacterial agents in the accompanying spray deep into the tongue.

according to Philips, this gets rid of bacteria that can build up on your tongue, causing bad breath, and cleans two-and-ahalf times better than brushing the tongue with a manual brush.

But if you are more of a manual girl, check out Reinast’s Everlasting Titanium Toothbrush (pictured). it may cost from around a staggering £2,900, but it’s meant to last a lifetime, and users are sent five new bristle heads every six months.

Just don’t leave it behind in your hotel room!

BLACK PASTE TO WHITEN TEETH

a whitening toothpaste that’s black might sound a little confusing, but Curaprox Black is White toothpaste (£19.95, curaprox.co.uk) — which comes in sleek, matte black packaging — claims to remove discolouration using activated carbon.

activated carbon is commonly found in water filters and air filtering systems, because of its ability to draw out impurities.

in toothpaste, it has the same effect, binding itself to stains, plaque and bacteria, leaving teeth looking brighter.

Other new toothpastes are just as unorthodox. Dawood & Tanner has rebranded its toothpaste as Tooth Cleansers (£5.25, deliciousteeth.com), with flavours such as Sicilian lemon and Brazilian lime. They come in elegant pumps instead of boring old tubes.

Developed by a dentist, the cleansers derive their unusual flavours from natural essential oils, and contain fluoride to strengthen tooth enamel, xylitol to prevent decay and sodium bicarbonate to help remove stains.

GADGETS THAT FLOSS FOR YOU

in a similar vein, you can now get fruit-flavoured floss. Radius Cranberry Floss (£3.54, healthjunction.co.uk) is impregnated with cranberry — not just for the flavour, but also because the fruit contains a natural antibacterial agent.

For extra style points, pop it in a floss dispenser by italian design brand alessi (£9.99, richmondcookshop.co.uk).

But, really, waxed string is oldschool when it comes to cleaning the crevices between your teeth.

now, multiple gadgets promise to do the hard work for you.

Waterpik (from £49.99, water pik.co.uk) uses jets of water and is proven to be an effective alternative to traditional dental floss for removing plaque and reversing gingivitis. The brand’s gadgets are not entirely stylish, however. Philips’s airfloss (from £59.95, johnlewis.com), meanwhile, is a far slickerlooking device, despite doing something similar — sending out bursts of air mixed with water or mouthwash.

Fans love it, raving about the dentist-clean feeling it gives.

PEARLY WHITES THE AMERICAN WAY

FOR years, Brits holidaying in america have stocked up on Crest White Strips, sold overthe-counter as a quick and easy way of whitening the teeth.

you simply apply the strips — which are like tape — daily to the upper and lower teeth, leave for an hour, and, two weeks later, you’ll have removed years’ worth of stains.

now, finally, they are available in the uK, rebranded as Oral-B 3D White Whitestrips.

Because European regulations differ from those in the u.S., the uK version has a lower concentration of hydrogen peroxide, the bleaching agent) — and you have to get them from a dentist. Expect to pay from around £70 plus consultation (oralb.co.uk).

... AND RINSE WITH PINK GRAPEFRUIT

DESignED — according to founder Craig Dubitsky — to look and taste better than the competition, Hello Breath Sprays (£3.99) and Mouthwash (£5.99, boots.com) are vegan, alcohol-free and made without dyes.

Even better, they come in flavours such as Mojito Mint and Pink grapefruit and are packaged in slick dispensers designed by BMW.

and for the truly chic, aesop (the people who make seriously posh skincare) also does an alcohol-free mouthwash (£17, liberty.co.uk), which features clove bud and aniseed to ‘protect olfactory contentment of those in close proximity’.

Having a hip replacement is something that happens to old ladies after a fall — not healthy women in their 40s and 50s.

But recent news suggests that’s no longer the case. Earlier this month, ballerina-turned-Strictly Come Dancing judge Darcey Bussell, 46, revealed she has already had her hip resurfaced and will soon need a full replacement, after decades of ballet have taken their toll.

in 2013, 66,000 replacements were carried out — and the number is increasing. But while most are given to people aged 60 to 80, operations on younger patients are becoming more common, according to leading orthopaedic surgeon, Mr Tim Waters of Spire Bushey Hospital.

The reason is twofold. First, medical technology means today’s replacement joints — made from a combination of stainless steel, titanium, plastic and ceramic — are smaller and last much longer than first-generation models of the Sixties, so can be offered at a younger age. Technology is advancing all the time and replacement joints could soon last a lifetime.

‘People see joint replacement as a last resort,’ says Mr Waters. ‘in the past we’d put them off for as long as possible because they only lasted up to ten years and second and third replacements (called revisions) were tricky. But that’s no longer the case. The technology used when revising them is getting better all the time. There’s no reason not to have one in middle age.’

The second reason is we’re pushing our bodies to the limit and wearing our joints out far sooner. ‘More of us are living longer, we’re more active for longer and we’re fatter than we should be,’ explains Mr Simon Moyes, a consultant orthopedic surgeon.

‘This extra weight bearing puts strain on the joints, particularly knees and hips. as a result i’m seeing more orthopedic problems. More people are asking for joint replacements in their 50s and 40s and more hospitals are prepared to offer them.’

But it seems, we’re on a hiding to nothing — because exercising to slim can also damage joints. Mr Moyes says he’s seeing increasing numbers of people suffering overuse injuries as a result of workouts.

‘These are much more than just weekend warriors, they’re putting their bodies through tough training regimes — classes, weights, triathlons and more — as a lifestyle choice,’ he says.

‘Most of the population aren’t active enough, so being really fit is obviously a good thing. But overuse injuries can be a side-effect.’

LuCy KElly, 46, is one such patient. When she complained of hip pain and stiffness, doctors diagnosed wear and tear, caused by her passion for running.

now a hip replacement is on the cards. ‘i was sporty at school but exercise took a back seat when i had my four children — Oscar, 19, Harvey, 17, and twin daughters, niamh and Mia, 15,’ says the beautician from Caterham in Surrey. ‘By the time my girls were settled at school i was 36, a size 12 to 14 and out of shape.

‘So i threw myself into exercise. at first i did Step aerobics and Body Pump classes. Then i took up running. after six months i was doing 10km on the treadmill in about 40 minutes, which is fast. i ran four or five times a week. it never occurred to me i might be overdoing it.’

about 18 months ago, after eight years of running, lucy started to get pains in her right hip. ‘When i walked it would jar,’ she says. ‘it felt like bone was rubbing against bone. if i’d been sitting for a while, i’d find i was too stiff to stand up. it soon became so bad i’d bend down to load the washing machine then not be able to straighten up again.’

an osteopath thought lucy may have torn some cartilage in her hip and advised her to see her gP.

‘My gP did blood tests for rheumatoid arthritis, which came back clear. But he could see my mobility was reduced so referred me to an orthopaedic consultant, who ordered X-rays and an MRi