Do you brush your teeth immediately after eating? If so, you’re doing it wrong.
According to dental experts, your teeth need a half-hour to recover from eating before you brush.
That’s because the sugars and acids in food and drinks have temporarily softened the tooth enamel. Brushing this softened surface will wear it away faster.
Waiting 30 minutes after eating before brushing allows your tooth enamel to “remineralize,” according to Matthew Messina, a clinical director and assistant professor at the Ohio State University College of Dentistry.
Here’s what you can do right after eating: Rinse your mouth out with water. Messina tells The New York Times that rinsing helps neutralize acidity as well as remove sugars and bacteria until it’s safe to brush your teeth.
In a perfect world, you would brush and floss 30 minutes or so after every meal. But experts like Ezzard Rolle, an assistant professor of dental medicine at Columbia University, realize that’s impractical for many people.
“So we recommend at least brushing and flossing twice a day, and ideally one of those times will be before bed,” Rolle says.
Rolle urges people to brush for two minutes total. He suggests thinking of your mouth as four separate sections: upper left, lower left, upper right and lower right.
“If you can brush for about 30 seconds in each section, that usually ensures that all parts of the mouth are equally and effectively cleaned,” Rolle says.
If you’re not sure that you can time yourself correctly, use this tip: Hum the theme from the TV quiz show “Jeopardy!” four times in a row.
We’ve previously reported on a mistake almost everyone makes after brushing — namely, rinsing after they’re done. Leaving the fluoride in place instead gives it more time to work.
So, here is the assignment:
- Right after eating, rinse your mouth out with water.
- Wait a half-hour or so after eating before brushing.
- Brush well and spit, but don’t rinse after brushing.
- Don’t eat or drink anything for 30 to 60 minutes after brushing. This also gives the fluoride enough time to do its job.
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