Brushing your teeth is a basic activity that we learn in childhood.
However, it turns out that taking care of oral hygiene is not that simple and obvious for everyone.
There is a lot of controversy about when it is best to brush your teeth in the morning. Should we do it before breakfast or after eating a meal?
Should you brush your teeth before or after breakfast? The answer is not that obvious
Brushing your teeth in the evening does not pose so many problems. It is known that they need to be cleaned before going to bed and after eating. It could be right after dinner or just before going to bed. The main thing is not to eat anything after that and only drink water. It's a little more difficult in the morning. Some people believe that you should wash your hair right after getting up, before breakfast. Others, however, reach for a toothbrush only after a meal. Who's right?
Dentists know the most about dental care, so it is worth taking a closer look at their habits in this matter. Research conducted by Medicover Stomatologia shows that most specialists are definitely on one side. As much as 78.8% of dentists brush their teeth after breakfast. 12.2% do it before breakfast, and 10% both before and after.
It is usually recommended to brush your teeth after a meal. This is due to the fact that we remove food remains, especially simple sugars, which are the breeding ground for bacteria, and neutralise the acidic reaction.
On the other hand, if we eat sour fruit or drink juice for breakfast, it is sometimes better to do it before rather than after the meal. Why? Fluorides increase the resistance of the enamel to acids, so we prepare our teeth for this. It is also not recommended to brush your teeth immediately after eating, for example, an orange, because the enamel is then more sensitive and brushing may further weaken it. The effects include hypersensitivity, the dentist comments on the results.
We remember from school that we should brush our teeth at least twice a day: in the morning and in the evening. Dentists stick to this rule. There was no one among the respondents who did it less often. However, 14.6% of them brush three times a day, and every tenth time after each meal.
It is worth noting that by brushing our teeth, we not only remove food remnants, but also get rid of dental plaque, reduce the number of bacteria and strengthen the enamel. The latter happens thanks to the fluorine contained in the toothpaste.
Not only the time and frequency of tooth brushing are important, but also the equipment we use. Nearly half of the dentists interviewed use a manual toothbrush (48.8%). Electric models were chosen by 46%, sonic models – 29%, and magnetic models – 17%. Interestingly, none of the dentists interviewed use hard bristle toothbrushes.
Nothing stops us from using a manual toothbrush interchangeably with an electric one, it will only be to our advantage. Removing dental plaque is not the only aspect of brushing, because it is important to neutralise pH, provide fluoride to the enamel and reduce the number of carious bacteria. This all happens thanks to the toothpaste that we spread with a toothbrush - explains the dentist, Agnieszka Juśkiewicz from Medicover Stomatologia Łódź Pomorska.
Toothbrushes with hard bristles have long had a bad reputation among specialists because they can destroy enamel and irritate gums. The opposite is true for thread. It is used by nearly 90% of dentists. The rest use an irrigator or interdental brushes.
Even the best toothbrush cannot always reach the interdental spaces, but we have a simple and effective tool for this: dental floss. It may be in the form of the so-called floss, i.e. a toothpick with a piece of thread unfastened at the end, or an irrigator. This is an electric device that uses a gentle stream of water to clean hard-to-reach spaces, e.g. for people with braces or dental implants, explains the expert.
Using dental floss is so important because food remnants, proteins from saliva and dead cells accumulating between the teeth create dental plaque in which bacteria grow. They contribute to inflammation of the gums and tooth decay. The latest research by Saudi dentists from 2021 shows that flossing reduces dental plaque by as much as 89% .
Mouthwashes are also an important element of oral hygiene. They are used by over 65% of respondents, the vast majority of whom choose those without alcohol and use them after brushing their teeth.
It is worth noting that none of the dentists used coconut oil mouth rinses, but a small percentage opted for eco-tablets for brushing teeth, products with turmeric and home-made rinses, e.g. with herbs. Some experts also use products with hydroxyapatite (40%) and massage the gums (24%).
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Gum problems, such as gum inflammation and periodontitis, are the most common oral diseases, right after caries. It is therefore not surprising that dentists who are aware of this have introduced gum massage into their daily routine, explains a Medicover Stomatologia expert.
Hydroxyapatite is nothing else than the basic building block of enamel, i.e. a compound of calcium and phosphorus. It contributes to remineralisation and thus strengthening teeth. It can be found in toothpastes and mouthwashes.
Finally, dentists were asked about the secret of healthy teeth. More than half of the respondents indicated three main factors: regular check-ups, hygiene and proper diet.
This is not secret knowledge, but should be the norm for everyone, i.e. hygiene and follow-up visits. And yes, dentists also go to the dentist and to a qualified hygienist for professional teeth cleaning. Plaque also accumulates subgingivally, so even if we really want to, we cannot remove it at home with a regular toothbrush, the dentist sums up.
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This article was first published on Onet Woman.