Forget the beach bag and the flip-flops, if there's one must-have accessory you need this summer, it's a gleaming smile.

With the sun shining and holidays in the diary we all tend to use our smiles a bit more during the summer season so avoid cringing over holiday snaps and Facebook tags by working towards a whiter, brighter smile. Here's your chance to get your lips and teeth in tip-top condition.

You don't have to squirm in the dentist's chair and spend hundreds of pounds to flash a kilowatt smile. There's plenty that you can do in between check-ups to achieve a dazzling smile. Say cheese!

BRUSH IT OFF

Want a whiter-than-white grin? Brushing twice a day is a necessity but what else can you do to brighten up your teeth? Oral B dental expert Dr Surinder Hundle gives his expert advice on how to get an enviable smile this summer: "Cut down on tea, coffee, red wine and other highly coloured foodstuffs," he advises.

"Stain builds up on the teeth and causes discolouration.

"Ensure you brush your teeth twice daily - two minutes is recommended.

I'd advise using an electric toothbrush with a small rubber polishing head called a prophy cup' - which is designed to mimic the tool used by a dentist to polish - and a non-abrasive whitening toothpaste, for the best results."

TEETHING TOOLS

Expand your brushing repertoire with a few key smile-savvy buys. Banish the overworked old toothbrush and look for an electric toothbrush like Oral-B Vitality ProWhite rechargeable toothbrush, £24.99, or a good manual like Swiss Smile Whitening Toothbrush, £12 (swisssmile.com); or Boots Smile Whitening Toothbrush, £1.99.

Brush up a foam with a whitening toothpaste like Darphin Denblan Toothpaste, £10 (0870 034 566/darphin.co.uk); Aloe Dent Whitening, £3.49 (0870 850 7114); or Beverly Hills Formula Whitening Toothpaste, £3.99 (beverlyhillsformula.com).

Mouthwashes are great for brightening a smile and leaving you feeling minty fresh.

Swill around BreathRx Anti-Bacterial Mouth Rinse, £8.49 (Boots/Superdrug nationwide); Colgate Plax Whitening Mouthwash, £3.49; or BlanX Tooth Whitening Mouthwash, £5.49, (Boots nationwide).

A PERFECT POUT

You don't always have to expose your teeth for a beautiful smile.

Angelina Jolie relies on a closed-mouth, pouty smile for her paparazzi pictures.

There's nothing worse than dry, scaly lips, especially if you want a good base for your lipstick or gloss. Ensure your lips are in perfect condition by brushing them lightly with an old toothbrush to exfoliate them.

The Body Shop Lipscuff, £7.50; B Mint Julips Sugar Scrub, £4.50 (bnevertoobusytobebeautiful.com); or Jane Iredale Sugar Butter Lip Treatment £19.75, (020 8450 7111), also work to lightly exfoliate your lips and remove dead skin cells.

Once your lips are prepped give them an Angelina boost with a plumper like Lancome Primordiale Skin Recharge Levres for lips, £25, lancome.co.uk), or Soap & Glory Sexy Motherpucker Peach, £7 (Boots nationwide).

GET COLOUR CLEVER

Truly kissable lips are finished off with a gorgeous slick of gloss or lipstick. But did you know the colour you wear can have a dramatic effect on your teeth?

"Raspberry-coloured lip glosses are good as they have blue undertones which complement a variety of skin tones and tends to make teeth appear whiter," says David Horne, education director at the Jemma Kidd Make Up School.

"Steer clear from orange and peach-toned glosses and lipsticks as these can have the reverse effect of making teeth look less white."

You can even go one step further in the quest for whiter-than-white teeth with a blue gloss. Try B's Bluetooth lip gloss, £7 (bnevertoobusytobebeautiful.com), or Benefit California Kissin' smile-brightening lip shine, £12.50(benefitcosmetics.co.uk).

Don't be put off by blue lips - the gloss gives you a subtle sheen and can be applied over or under lipstick to maximise your smile.

11:21am Wednesday 25th June 2008

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