When NOT To Brush Your Teeth
Tooth brushing is an integral part of a patients daily dental care. Tooth brushing and flossing are needed for healthy teeth and gums.
Proper Dental Care May Require Brushing Your Teeth Less
When NOT to Brush
“Brush teeth often!” is the directive dental office patients remember the most after the latest teeth cleaning appointment with the dentist. However dentists don’t want their patients tooth brushing their teeth in blind obedience the second any liquid or food passes their lips. Sometimes exposing your mouth to harsh bristles or gritty toothpaste at the wrong time or in the wrong way can cause damage to enamel or gums. Consider these points before initiating your next dental cleaning:
Don’t Tooth Brush After Consuming Acidic Foods or Liquids
If the first thing you grab after a hearty meal is the toothbrush and toothpaste, hold on a moment! Some liquids, like soda, contain phosphoric acids that temporarily soften enamel. Even “healthier” liquids and foods, like orange juice or citrus fruit, contains citric acid which also can weaken enamel. Think your teeth can handle a quick brush after downing a glass of orange juice? When enamel is weakened, the last thing it needs is the bristles of a toothbrush scraping over it and removing microscopic amounts. “Wait a second,” you might think, “only microscopic amounts? How bad can that be?” Plenty, if you consider that enamel is irreplaceable and will wear down naturally over time anyway. If you want to preserve your pearly whites while maintaining good tooth brushing habits, make sure you wash down acidic content with water and wait at least 20 minutes to brush. This will give your teeth time to recover, allowing the saliva time to wash the mouth out and strengthen the enamel.
