Don’t Brush After Meals, Experts Say
Dental hygiene is imbued with guilt at every turn, and basically, we’ve been led to believe that if you’re not currently brushing your teeth right now as we speak, harmful abscesses are probably developing in your mouth and dripping into your heart, slowly killing you.
While it seems no amount of brushing or flossing is enough to stop your dentist from clucking at you, we now have three 30-minute grace periods in which to kick back and not feel bad about not brushing our teeth that second: right after meals.
A study quoted in the New York Times noted that when participants brushed within the 30 minutes following food or drink (particularly the acidic kind), dentin loss due to brushing was increased. Authors of the study wrote:
“It is concluded that for protection of dentin surfaces… at least 30 minutes should elapse before tooth brushing after an erosive attack.”
To rid the mouth of acid, patients are advised to use a mouth rinse of one part baking soda to eight parts water to neutralize it during the no-brush period.
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About the Author
Kim LaCapria Kim LaCapria is a writer and editor based in New York. A longtime information junkie, she began blogging full-time at the Inquisitr in 2009. Prior to that, she worked as a marketing assistant in the cosmetics and skincare industry. In addition to her writing for fortytwotimes, she also writes for Medacity and The Inquisitr. Kim is also a contributor for SocialNewsDaily, Indyposted, and TotallyMoney. In the past, she contributed to Lipstick and Luxury and managed social media accounts and blogs for several small and mid-sized businesses.
