Do you have a habit of brushing your teeth right after you ate? This can seriously damage the teeth, warned the leading American dentist.
Experts recommend brushing your teeth twice a day, but many people clean their teeth after each meal, snacks and sugary drinks for hygiene reasons.
However, the study showed that brushing your teeth immediately after eating or drinking, especially acidic ones, can do more harm than to do good.
After consuming carbonated and acidic drinks, the acid acts on the enamel of the teeth and on the layer under the enamel, called dentine. Friction of the toothbrush pushes the acid even deeper into the enamel and dentin.
Dr. Howard Gamble, president of the Academy of General Dentistry in the United States, conducted a study in which scientists followed the participants for three weeks after studying the effects of brushing their teeth after they drank a diet cola.
Scientists have found that cleaning teeth after 20 minutes after eating increased the level of damage to the dentin. The damage was much lower if a person brushed his teeth in half an hour or an hour after eating.
To protect the dentin surface, you should wait at least half an hour before brushing your teeth.
Fruits, especially orange and lemon juice, vinegar, sweet fizzy drinks contain a high level of acid and soften the enamel. If you wait at least 30 minutes, this will set aside enough time for saliva to neutralize acidity. Saliva contains calcium and phosphate ions, which are also contained in the teeth. Also in the saliva there are enzymes that return the pH level in the mouth to neutral. But if the drink contains phosphoric and citric acid, then the saliva is more difficult to neutralize the acid. To get rid of excessive acidity in the mouth, the dentist recommends rinsing the mouth with water or using a neutralizing acid mixture, such as a solution of soda and water in a 1: 8 ratio.
Protection of enamel
Enamel is a thin, but very hard coating of your teeth. It protects the internal parts of the tooth, including dentin and pulp. Enamel can not be restored if it has worn off. The impact of drinks and food containing acid is one of the main reasons why the enamel wears or collapses. This exposes the dentin to more exposure, and the tooth becomes more sensitive.
Dentin – the material is porous and in all its “pores” there are nerves, which means that the tooth will become hypersensitive without enamel. With sensitive teeth it can be painful and unpleasant to eat cold and hot foods, and even brush your teeth.
Enamel can also be damaged by grinding your teeth, brushing your teeth too hard with a toothbrush or gnawing hard objects, such as a pencil.
There are several ways to protect the enamel:
- Rinse your mouth with water after eating and drinking
- Chew the gum without sugar, which will also contribute to the production of saliva.
Image credit: andresantanams
