Dental health, explained plainly.

• Gum disease and your heart: what a new study found — A bacterium behind gum disease may also help drive a common, serious heart valve condition — new research explains the link.
• Vaping and your gums: what the research is starting to show — A run of 2026 studies links vaping to gum damage that's easy to miss, because the usual warning sign — bleeding gums — often doesn't show up.
• Electric vs manual toothbrushes: what a new children's trial actually found — A new randomised trial adds solid evidence to the electric-vs-manual debate, and the results are hard to argue with.
• Probiotics and diet: what a new gum disease trial actually found — A recent pilot trial found that probiotics paired with an anti-inflammatory diet meaningfully improved gum health in just six weeks.
• The national toothbrushing programme for under-5s — and what it means if your child isn't in it — A third of five-year-olds in England's most deprived areas already have tooth decay — here's what the national toothbrushing programme is doing about it, and what parents can do at home.
• Tooth decay is rising again in England — what the data actually shows — The first full clinical survey of adult teeth in England in over a decade shows real regression — here's what's behind it, and what still works.
• Sports drinks and your teeth: what the research actually shows — A recent review of the evidence on sports drinks and tooth damage — what held up, what didn't, and who's most at risk.
• Composite bonding: the honest pros and cons — A tooth-coloured resin, applied and shaped in a single visit — but it isn't the right fix for everything.
• Dental phobia is common — here's how sedation actually helps — Dental fear, dental anxiety, odontophobia — whatever you call it, it's more common than you'd think, and there's a real solution for it.
• Foods that are genuinely good for your teeth — You know the foods to avoid. Here's what's worth adding instead.
• Plaque and tartar: what's the difference, and why does it matter? — They're related, but they're not the same — and knowing the difference changes how you should be brushing.
• The rise of illegal tooth whitening in Britain — what to check before you book — Tooth whitening is booming — and so is an unlicensed black market offering it. Here's how to tell the difference.
• Why experience matters when you're choosing an implant dentist — Implants are meant to last decades. The dentist placing them should have decades of practice behind them too.