We only get one set of teeth, so why do we treat them so badly? Here's how to keep your smile super-healthy and sparkling white (without an expensive trip to the dentist) 

• e-mail

Laser tooth whitening will set you back around £1,000, while veneers can cost you up to £2,000 per tooth

 How can you get the healthy, glistening, sparkling white smiles of people like Made In Chelsea's Stephanie Pratt and Georgia Toffolo, TOWIE's Billie Faiers or Love Island's Sophie Gradon?

And how can you best take care of your teeth at home in order to avoid a costly trip to the dentist's chair?

After our baby teeth drop out aged six, we get adult teeth. And we're stuck with those. Forever. So it makes sense to take care of them, right? And yet few of us are taking PROPER care of them, according to dentists. 

And if you want to get that perfect smile privately, laser tooth whitening will set you back around £1,000, while veneers can cost you up to £2,000 per tooth. 

Well, there's a bit more to it than 'avoiding sugar'.

We've all heard of the cleanse, tone, moisturise routine as the optimum way to look after our skin.

Well, there's now a three step routine to care for your teeth according to celebrity favourite teeth whitening brand WhiteWash Laboratories.

Floss, wash, brush (yes, in that order!) is the recommended approach in caring for your teeth and mouth, says WhiteWash Laboratories founder and dentist, Dr. Matthew Lloyd.

Here are the best ways to get healthy, bright, white, strong teeth and a beautiful smile….  

Made In Chelsea star Stephanie Pratt (left) and Love Island winnter Cara Delahoyde (right) are both know for their dazzling white healthy smiles - and both have posted on Instagram about their love for WhiteWash Nano Whitening products

You've been cleaning your teeth ALL WRONG!

Most people make the mistake of flossing, brushing, and then washing their mouth out with mouthwash twice a day. But doing it in this order rinses all the lovely, fluoride-rich, tooth-toughening toothpaste off your pearly whites. Think 'floss, wash, brush' – it's the 'cleanse, tone, moisturise' of the mouth. Avoid gargling with water or drinking anything for after brushing your teeth for the same reason. This will really let the toothpaste work its magic.

Dr Lloyd says: 'My patients ask me every day about teeth whitening because everyone wants to have a smile that they love. Patients also ask about preventing the build up of stains from tea, coffee, red wine and smoking.

'The most cost effective way to begin the journey towards maintaining a healthy white smile is by following the floss, wash, brush routine.

'As a dentist I recommend flossing to get rid of food and debris in between teeth, using a mouthwash to wash away this debris and neutralise acid and then brushing with toothpaste for two minutes.

'You only get one set of teeth so it's worth caring for them in the same way we're used to caring for our skin'.

Flossing is key

Recent media coverage on the efficacy of flossing has been 'highly misleading to the public and to patients', according to the European Federation of Periodontology, who believe the coverage focused on 'sensationalism', and that 'cleaning between the teeth on a daily basis is essential to maintain gum health'.

Essentially not flossing allows plaque to build up - causing cavities and toothache 

Put simply, your toothbrush cannot reach everywhere in your mouth. Nearly 50% of dental surface area lies between the teeth, and in order to clean these areas properly it is crucial that you floss between your teeth at least once a day. 

Flossing removes bits of food that get trapped between teeth and beneath your gum line, as well as bacteria, which contribute to plaque. If you don't lift plaque out of its hiding places every day, it hardens, becomes tartar, attaches itself to your tooth enamel and create cavities, leading to toothache and expensive trips to the dentist for fillings.  

Think 'floss, wash, brush' – it's the 'cleanse, tone, moisturise' of the mouth

Spit don't rinse

Try to avoid rinsing after you've brushed your teeth, because toothpaste contains the highest levels of the ingredients that help to keep them strong and your dentists at bay, and it will continue to protect your teeth for 30 minutes after brushing.

Are you left or right handed?

Strange question but there is method in our madness. Studies have shown that people brush one side of the mouth better than the other depending on whether they're right or left handed. If you brush with your right hand then you'll naturally brush your left side of your mouth better than the right side of your mouth. 

Use a dentist-recommended whitening toothpaste

Developed by British dentists, WhiteWash Nano Whitening Toothpaste contains a multi-active whitening complex with advanced Enamel Care Technology to help whiten and remineralise teeth.

Getting pearly whites doesn't have to mean neglecting your teeth health: WhiteWash Nano Whitening Toothpaste uses  micro-polishers to help restore teeth to their natural whiteness as well as protecting them

TOWIE's Billie Faiers is one of many celebrity fans of WhiteWash Nano Whitening Toothpaste, which contains a multi-active whitening complex

Love Island's Sophie Gradon posted this snap on her Instagram account, saying 'Obsessed with @whitewashlabsuk new Nano whitening toothpaste, I've been using for a little while now and have seen real results!!!'

Available now in Boots, WhiteWash Nano Whitening Toothpaste contains a combination of special micro-polishers which remove surface stains on teeth, plus Enamel Care Technology which helps remineralise and whiten teeth, and reduce sensitivity. The addition of naturally occurring xylitol inhibits bacterial plaque formation preventing acid attacks, promotes healthy teeth and gums and freshens breath.

Available now in Boots, WhiteWash Nano Whitening Toothpaste contains a combination of special micro-polishers which remove surface stains on teeth, plus Enamel Care Technology which helps remineralise and whiten teeth, and reduce sensitivity

Dr Matthew Lloyd says: 'It's not just about getting a Hollywood white smile, it's about maintaining a healthy white smile.

'Even after a course of teeth whitening, your teeth won't stay white forever and it's not a good idea to be constantly whitening your teeth. Depending on what you eat and how you look after your teeth, they could return back to their normal colour quite quickly. 

'I advise following a floss, wash, brush regime with the Nano range by WhiteWash Laboratories as it is designed and formulated by UK dentists. 

'We've focused on whitening your smile in the healthiest way possible so not only will the toothpaste help you gain and maintain a healthy, white, smile, but it will look after your teeth and gums as well.' 

The award-winning WhiteWash Laboratories has also launched the Brush For A Brush campaign: for every product you buy, they donate a toothbrush to a person in need. So you're helping young people keep their bright, healthy smiles, too.

Brush your tongue

Bacteria that linger on your tongue rather than on your teeth is actually the biggest cause of bad breath, so remove this by brushing your tongue every day, either with a toothbrush or a special tongue scraper. To check whether or not you have bad breath lick your wrist – then let it dry and smell it: if it smells bad your breath will smell bad too.

Careful what you put in your mouth (including your toothbrush!)

Red wine, coffee, black tea and cigarettes will leave stains on your teeth. Cigarettes can also bring about gum disease, tooth loss, and even mouth cancer.

That glass of red might be lovely after a long day, but its affect on your teeth won't be!

If you can't brush your teeth for some reason, chewing sugar free gum can help protect your teeth 

And don't brush your teeth immediately after eating or drinking!

Many of us reach for our toothbrush after breakfast, or perhaps you just polished off that cocktail before a night out and want to freshen up – either way you may think it's perfectly fine to give those pearly whites a quick brush.  However the conditions in your mouth become acidic after eating, so brushing straight away can actually damage teeth and cause acid erosion.

You should either chew sugar-free gum or use an acid neutralising mouthwash. 

Choose a toothpaste with hydroxyapatite

Hydroxyapatite is the latest super-ingredient in the dental world because it is clinically proven to help both whiten teeth AND reduce sensitivity whilst also protecting your teeth from tooth decay.

Cheap toothpastes contain low or non-existent levels of hydroxyapatite

Instead, many dentists recommend using a toothpaste with fluoride and hydroxyapatite to ensure your teeth get the best protection they can.

Reduce prolonging sugary conditions in the mouth

Grazing and nibbling sweets all afternoon can leave your mouth exposed to sugary conditions for an extended period of time which increases the risk of damage. Instead, eating in one sitting and then washing your mouth with WhiteWash Nano Whitening Mouthwash is advisable. 

Eat plenty of crunchy fruit and vegetables

As well as being rich in vitamins and minerals, raw fruit and vegetables actually help clean your teeth as you eat them

As well as being rich in vitamins and minerals, raw fruit and vegetables actually help clean your teeth as you eat them. Apples are often referred to as 'nature's toothbrush' (stick to one a day though as they are high in natural sugars). Crunchy carrots, celery and even non-sugared popcorn are terrific to eat at the end of meals, as they will naturally cleanse the surfaces and prevent plaque build-up. 

But go easy on fruit and vegetable juices: the fructose in these is higher than in the whole foods, so your teeth will be exposed to cavity-causing sugars and acids. A diet is rich in fresh fruit and vegetables will also help prevent gum disease.