Hitting the right note

Ken Harris, a leading cosmetic dentist who runs practices in both Sunderland and Newcastle, is concerned that many people are over or under brushing their teeth.

And now the dentist, who heads up Riveredge Cosmetic Surgery, has come up with a solution – playing a song which lasts around two minutes when brushing.

“People just tend to brush their teeth for the length of time that feels right to them, rather than considering how long their teeth should actually be brushed for,” he said.

“And it’s just as bad to overbrush as to underbrush your teeth.

“To take some of the guess work out of it, it makes sense to play a song that lasts around two minutes so that you know that you’ve been brushing your teeth for exactly the right amount of time.”

The team at Riveredge has compiled a top 10 list of songs which could be played to ensure that teeth are brushed for the correct length of time, with some children’s favourites to get young people into the habit.