Not Brush Teeth Immediately after Meals

Children are accustomed to brush their teeth when taking a shower in the morning or afternoon. The habit is certainly good for maintaining a dental health.

Unfortunately, dental maintenance effort is sometimes confused by the variety of information from the mass media, teachers, parents, and even dentists. It's often said, to maintain the health, we'd always brush our teeth after a meal at least twice a day, i.e. after breakfast, and dinner or before bed.

Which is correct?

Actually, our teeth are always covered by some kind of a thin membrane as a result of mouth never dry from saliva. This membrane becomes a fertile medium for the growth of various bacteria.

When first reported his research in the 17th century, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek referred to this membrane as Alba material described as a thin membrane containing a large amount of various bacteria.

The membrane will be a plaque when the bacteria colony has reached a certain amount. The plaque is very thin and not visible to the naked eye. It took many centuries until able to prove the existence of a clear relationship between Alba material with dental caries.

After eating, the rest of the food, especially carbohydrate, will undergo a fermentation of diet sugar. The result is in the form of acidic compounds that make the environment of the teeth have an acidic atmosphere.

Within a few minutes, the earlier acidity is to increase or the pH is down. Over time, the pH value decrease will be down to a critical able to lead to decalcification on tooth enamel.

When sugars in the plaque are depleted to ferment, a number of other bacteria, including Veillonella alcalescens, will damage the fermented acidic compounds. Thus, after some time, plaque pH will gradually increase again until normal.

So, that always happens after eating, especially foods containing sugar.

Various studies showed, the pH would return to normal after 20-30 minutes after eating. From the above facts, it can be said, the period of 20-30 minutes after eating carbohydrates is a very vulnerable moment for the occurrence of tooth decay.

Brushing the teeth when the degree of acidity in the mouth is still at a critical level, will increase a tooth surface damage. So, don't brush your teeth immediately after eating. Wait after the critical period has passed about ½ hour after meals.

The goal of brushing teeth is to clear the mouth from food waste that leftover fermentation doesn't last too long. So, that tooth decay can be avoided. When brushing your teeth properly, the tooth surface will be clean of the plaque. However, once again, the plaque will always be formed from time to time.

Indeed, it couldn't hurt to brush your teeth when taking a shower in the morning or evening. However, the benefit is to maintain the freshness of mouth. The benefit in the maintenance of teeth isn't great.

The problem is, are you confident that dental plaque has been wasted after brushing your teeth? Well, that dental plaque is missing, it'd be a how to brush teeth correctly. Unfortunately, many people don't know to brush teeth correctly.

Because able not to be seen with the naked eye, the plaque may never completely disappear even if diligent about brushing teeth. Therefore, try to consult with your dentist whether the way you brush your teeth is correct.

If not, a disclosing agent can guide you to brush teeth correctly. Well, happy brushing your teeth properly at the right time.

You may also like:

Nourishing Traditions
Defy Your Doctor and Be Healed
Growing, Growing Strong
Sweet Fire
Gut Instinct

Comments