Brushing our teeth is a small thing we must do every day, but it is also a “big thing” related to health. Many people are not sure whether to brush their teeth before or after meals. They think that there are sufficient reasons to brush their teeth before and after meals. So which one is the right one?
some professional dentists believe that it is better to brush your teeth before meals. But it is more scientific to say that whether you brush your teeth before or after meals should be adjusted according to what you eat for breakfast the reason why dentists think it is better to brush teeth after meals is that brushing teeth after meals can more thoroughly clean the dirt. However, if you eat acidic foods such as fruits or fruit juices for breakfast, you should brush your teeth before meals.
You should not brush your teeth within half an hour after eating acidic food, because the acid contained in acidic food weakens and erodes the enamel of your teeth. If you brush your teeth immediately after dinner, the friction between the toothbrush and toothpaste may cause greater damage to the enamel, so that your teeth can’t be well protected, and then pose hidden dangers to your teeth. Therefore, if you know that you need to eat acidic substances for breakfast, you should brush your teeth before meals or not for half an hour after eating acidic substances.
That is to say, whether to brush your teeth before or after meals should be adjusted according to the different ingredients . If you are used to eating sweet foods for breakfast, you’d better brush your teeth after meals, which helps prevent dental caries. If you are used to eating acidic foods for breakfast, you’d better brush your teeth before meals or 30 minutes after meals.
Brushing before and after meals mainly depends on the individual, but will you make the following wrong brushing habits? Brushing your teeth in this way runs counter to your healthy habits!
1. Don’t brush your teeth in the morning and evening
“Toothbrush should be the last thing your teeth touch before going to bed.” Edmond R. Hewlett, a professor of Dentistry at UCLA, said that eating snacks before going to bed can significantly increase the risk of tooth decay. Brushing your teeth in the morning is also important: when you sleep, the protective saliva will slow down, which will stimulate the bacteria in your mouth to reproduce faster. Generally speaking, brush your teeth twice a day for at least 2 minutes each time, ensuring that there is 30 seconds for cleaning in every corner.
2. The toothbrush is too hard
Dr Hewlett pointed out that the soft toothbrush can gently slide your gum tissue and then brush away any plaque that stays there. If the plaque here is not completely cleared, it will increase the risk of gum disease. Choosing a toothbrush with medium hardness or too hard will make it difficult to clean the tartar between teeth and hidden surfaces. Instead of good cleaning effect, it is more likely to cause tooth decay. And because of excessive force, it will also lead to gingival bleeding, injury and even atrophy.
3. Incorrect brushing method
Some people habitually brush things off in a hurry. Dr. Hewlett pointed out that the correct way to brush teeth is to hold the toothbrush handle in your hand at an angle of 30-45 degrees and rotate your wrist in a circular motion, which can effectively remove plaque. When moving behind the front teeth, the toothbrush should be vertical to better reach the whole teeth. In particular, make sure to clean the rear area of the mouth, which usually hides the largest number of plaque.
4. No mouthwash
Pia Lieb, a plastic dentist in New York City, said: “swallowing or spitting out toothpaste can’t completely remove all harmful things. It’s better to rinse with a mouthwash containing no alcohol and hydrogen peroxide.” Of course, if you don’t have mouthwash, it’s better to rinse it with water than not.
5. Never brush your tongue
The tongue also harbors a large number of harmful bacteria. There are many tiny papillary processes on the back and side of the tongue, and food and debris can be easily stuck in their gaps. That’s why you need to wash your tongue every day.
6. Do not change toothbrush for a long time
An average toothbrush contains more than 10 million bacteria, so the old toothbrush can not effectively remove dental plaque or bacteria. The American Dental Association recommends that you change your toothbrush every 3-4 months. If you are sick, you must change your toothbrush immediately, because the bacteria and disease viruses left on it will attach to the toothbrush and infect you again.
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