But taking care of those pearly whites, including making regular visits to the dentist, is more likely to fill us with trepidation rather than
make us beam with happiness.

And coupled with a reluctance to visit the dentist, a newly-released survey says that some of us can actually be down right nasty to our
gnashers.

The survey, conducted by the British Dental Health Foundation and Oral
B to mark National Smile Month (May 18-June 17), found that people admitted using hammers, paper clips, shoe laces, drill bits and glass to remove food from between their teeth.

And, while one in three of us, brush our teeth for less than one minute a day, one in five people can't remember when they last changed their toothbrush.

Camelon dentist Katie Stirling, who has her own practice in Union Road, has seen it all.

"Some people do abuse their teeth, such as using them to open bottles and using sharp objects to prise out bits of food,'' she said.

"There's a lot of strange, weird and wonderful things people do, and, unfortunately, there is still a fear about coming to the dentist.

"A lot of people of my era say that the school dentist put them off when, years ago, there was mass tooth extractions in young children.

"But the system has improved so much, especially in the past 10 years or so.

"Dentists have become a lot more approachable and we're trying to get rid of the stigma we have as scary people!

"That's one of the biggest kicks of the job – overcoming that terrible
fear and winning them over so that they can manage their dental health."

But, despite the dentist chair being more frightening to some than its 'Mastermind' counterpart, becoming a dentist has remained a popular career choice for bright and personable youngsters.

This year, the University of Dundee has had 264 applications for its 66-place BSc Dentistry course starting in September.

But whether dentists are fresh out of uni or have spent their life in practice, they are battling the same problem.

"Decay is the main thing that we dentists are always tackling," said Katie (42).

"It's a huge issue in Central Scotland.

"The big thing that we are pushing is obviously that people brush their teeth and floss between their teeth, but another important thing is diet.

"People who have regular snacks throughout the day, every day, or who 'graze' as we call it, are doing a lot of damage.

"It's terribly bad for your teeth as is drinking a lot of carbonated drinks."

For dentists, the days are extremely busy.

Katie, who treats both NHS and private patients and who has 19 years' experience, said: "No day is the same.

"There are, for example, a number of ways of treating decay, such as extractions, crowns or veneers.

"In one day there can be orthodontic extractions, crown preparations and also preparing dentures.

"We deal with emergency cases when teeth have been bashed or broken, maybe because of a fight or an accident.

"We also treat mouth ulcers and, over the years, I have seen a couple of cases of mouth cancer."

Katie added: "I decided when I was 15 that I wanted to be a dentist and I've never looked back.

"I think that I'm very much a people person and my job involves always trying to help.

"I would certainly recommend it as a career. There's a lot of job satisfaction."