Is Brushing Teeth After Eating Good for You?

 

DISCLOSURE: Noelle Copeland RDH is the oral care specialist and dental consultant to the Brilliant and Baby Buddy oral care lines.

Today’s Brilliant® question is about brushing and timing. A recent “Brilliant Brusher” asked…

● “Is brushing my teeth after eating a good thing for me to do?”

The answer for most people is… No, it’s not!

Not necessarily because it’s not a good thing, in general, but because it’s typically not a necessary thing to be done. To be honest, I find that the people who ask this question, already have really good homecare routines and pretty healthy teeth and gums. So my concern is that these are the people who are most often my “scrubbers” and “excess-brushers”, which puts them at risk for abrasion and recessive wear if they brush too much.

The people who actually need more brushing time in their day are usually the people who don’t think they have time for it to begin with. I know that’s harsh, but it’s true. After 25 years of seeing patients, the only time I recommend brushing after lunch, in addition to the morning and bedtime routine, is to those patients who are doing a poor job of brushing, to begin with. They know it too and admit to it. They are busy, and tired and rush through brushing, leaving behind food, plaque, and bacteria. So getting them to commit just a little bit more time to oral care is a benefit.

However, there are specific parameters to be followed if you intend to brush after a meal. The most popular toothpaste on the market right now is Sensodyne. Why? Because we are scrubbing and brushing our tooth enamel away with overly powerful electric toothbrushes and bad timing when it comes to oral care. What do I mean by bad timing? Well, for starters, anything acidic that changes the ph of the mouth, affects the teeth and tissues. I would ponder that most people eat something acidic at almost every meal, and we certainly drink acidic beverages all day long. The mouth is coated by a protective layer of minerals and proteins, and anything acidic completely removes it and it takes about an hour for it to be re-established through our saliva.

If you enjoy coffee, tea, fruit, soda, chicken with lemon, vinegar in a dressing or marinade, or any of the many foods or drinks that are acidic, you are at risk for enamel abrasion. That means you need to wait one hour to brush after a meal. If you need to freshen up after a meal, rinse your mouth with water or use a ph stabilizing rinse with xylitol. Unless your dental professional has specifically counseled you on brushing after you eat, you can skip it and focus on doing a good job during the morning and evening routines and for heaven’s sake, floss more. No one ever asks about flossing half as much as they do brushing. So show the floss some love and do THAT after your meals, your gums will thank you!

Be sure to check out our specialty toothbrush and our soft toothbrush for sensitive teeth by visiting https://www.brilliantoralcare.com/collections/manual-toothbrushes.

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