Yes, yes we know. Us Brits get more than our fair share of flack over the state of our teeth. Regular trips to the dentist just seem to elude the majority of us for some reason. It's possibly due to the childhood trauma of getting fillings drilled, or that defining moment when we get our braces taken off and 'no longer have to worry' about our teeth. 

But it's mainly due to the fact that we tend to see any sort of maintenance - be it tooth care or otherwise -  as somewhat 'frivolous' (it's the same with British women not getting regular facials when compared to our skincare-savvy counterparts across the pond).

But two minutes of brushing twice a day just isn't going to cut it when our poor gnashers are subject to an onslaught of acidic food and drinks day in, day out. This causes the tooth enamel to erode away resulting in an unattractive chipped surface - which no amount of red lipstick is going to distract from.

'The most common cause of  erosion is acidic drinks.' notes UK dentist Dr. David Tharme Jones. '[It's normally] fruit drinks, sports drinks, cordial, carbonated drinks and wine and beer. But even flavoured and non-fizzy water can harm the enamel, despite them being billed as healthy.' 

'The early stages of enamel erosion are invisible,' he explains. 'It’s usually a slow process which occurs with ageing.  Many of my patients think they are taking good care of their teeth and smile. But they're unaware of this invisible process causing the softening of the enamel, which can lead to long term enamel erosion.'

"Even flavoured and non-fizzy water can harm tooth enamel, despite them being billed as healthy."

Enamel erosion causes of 80% of tooth problems - resulting in us being forced to visit the dentist due to scream-inducing pain. Sad news is once that enamel is gone, the body can't replace it - so it's worth being a tad more considerate to those poor molars of ours. 

Hence why our attention was piqued by the arrival of a new toothpaste that's set to be a game-changer - on a massive scale. REGENERATE is the first of its kind to actually rebuild tooth enamel. An incredible achievement, but does it work? Sadly it's not permanent, but with regular use, an in vitro test showed that an average of 82% of enamel was regenerated after three days. The result? Your teeth are three-times as stronger and protected against those cavities which lead to tooth decay. Pretty exciting stuff - especially for us 'stumpy-toothed' Brits.

Using a patented NR-5 complex (which took 9 years to develop) it works to intergrate new enamel minerals onto the teeth every time you brush. As well as the toothpaste, here is also a Boosting Serum (yep that's right, a serum for your teeth ...) which you use for three consecutive days each month. You mix it in a tray with an activator gel and apply for three minutes at a time on your top and bottom teeth. It boosts the effects of the toothpaste by 43% - ideal for those whose teeth are already in need of a serious dose of enamel (but it's still advisable to see a dentist for regular check ups too). And although not strictly a 'whitening' product per se, it can also help brighten up your smile in the long run.

The verdict? REGENERATE represents a real milestone in tooth care - plus anything that will help to dispel that embarrassing stereotype of 'bad British teeth' gets our vote.

Regenerate Enamel Science™ Advanced Toothpaste is £10, the Boosting Serum Kit is £30, both at Selfridges

regeneratenr5.com