Our teeth need our attention, and the mainstream media is letting us know! Knvul Sheikh and Lindsey Bever report for the New York Times and the Washington Post, respectively, on how to brush your teeth and how to strength them. In short, avoid snacking multiple times a day, use toothpaste with fluoride, and don’t rinse after brushing.
Experts urge you brush your teeth a minimum of two times each day. And, to prevent cavities, use toothpaste with fluoride. If you don’t rinse after brushing, the fluoride remains on your teeth, further protecting them.
If you can, wait at least 30 minutes after eating to brush your teeth. That allows the saliva in your mouth to remove the acid buildup on your teeth that comes from eating. After brushing, if you must rinse, use as little water as possible and wait as long as possible to do so. You might also consider using a mouthwash with fluoride.
Why avoid rinsing? You want the fluoride to strengthen your tooth enamel. Minimizing the rinse after brushing has been found to lower the risk of tooth decay. When you rinse, you wash away a lot of the fluoride. Not rinsing is ideal, particularly for people who eat a lot of sugar or who have a lot of cavities. If there’s little sugar in your diet, rinsing does less harm.
Why brush your teeth? The reason to brush is to remove dental plaque that contains bacteria that is acidic. When fluoride coats your teeth, it adds minerals to the teeth enamel. But, use fluoride in moderation. Too much fluoride could lead to fluoride toxicity. Especially in children when teeth are growing, too much fluoride can cause white spots.
How else to protect your teeth? To keep your teeth from weakening and ensure strong teeth, do what you can to protect the enamel on the outside of your teeth. Drinking a lot of water after you eat is helpful, not only in washing away some of the acid buildup but in stimulating the production of saliva in your mouth. Saliva helps keep your teeth strong.
Why are some people more at risk of tooth decay than others? Some people have genetic predispositions to poor tooth enamel. Others eat foods that eat away at their tooth enamel. Sugary drinks and vinegary foods, as well as fruit juices erode tooth enamel. So, does sparkling water.
Tip: If you eat sweets, do so in one fell swoop to better protect your teeth. All at once, your teeth have a single exposure to acid. In small bits over time, your teeth have multiple exposures to acid. For the sake of your teeth, it’s best not to snack throughout the day.
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