If you’re like most people, you probably brush your teeth in the morning and then again in the evening and otherwise do not worry that much about your oral health. But did you know that this might not actually be the best time to brush your teeth? In fact, if you brush your teeth right before eating breakfast, for example, you might be making them more vulnerable to the bacteria and sugars in your mouth. How do you know if you’re brushing your teeth at the right time? Here’s what you need to know if you are asking yourself when is the best time to brush my teeth.
1. Certain types of food and drink are more harmful than others.
A diet high in sugar and carbohydrates is more likely to result in cavities for one very important reason: carbs (which break down into sugar) and sugar feed the bacteria in your mouth that creates plaque and which eats away at the enamel of your tooth. The enamel is what protects your teeth from cavities. Once it is gone, it is gone. So if you eat a breakfast that contains carbs and sugar, even just in small amounts, there is the potential of your teeth being damaged. Brushing your teeth after eating breakfast is the best way to make sure these substances never have the chance to adhere to your teeth and cause problems. If you eat something that has a high sugar content or a high carb content, brushing directly afterwards is always a good idea.
2. Brush in the morning.
The benefits of brushing your teeth in the morning are obvious: overnight bacteria has built up in the mouth and it both cause bad breath and start to produce the acid that wears away at your enamel. It’s also just a good way to start the morning. When your mouth feels fresh, you will be ready for the day. You’ll reduce the amount of bacteria in your mouth, which is extremely important for keeping your mouth clean throughout the day. While many people will carry a toothbrush with them and brush their teeth after every single meal, this is rarely necessary. If you brush your teeth in the morning for the full two minutes recommended by dentists, you will probably find that your mouth is clean enough throughout the day.
3. Brush in the evening.
Throughout the day, you will eat meals and have snacks. Even if you eat an extremely healthy diet, you might still be eating foods that affect your enamel. The acids in citrus, for example, can take a toll on your teeth if they are not cleaned away. A good tip for maintaining your enamel throughout the day is the drink plenty of water, especially after eating. This will help to clear away not only food particles that might stuck to your teeth, but acids, both those from the foods that you eat but also that are produced by the bacteria in the mouth. Just about everything we eat even the healthy foods, contains some sort of compound that can have negative effects on the teeth if not cleaned away by vigorous brushing in the evening. This will help to get rid of the smell that comes along with bacteria and little bits of food in the mouth and keep your teeth shiny, white, and healthy.
4. Are there other times you should be brushing your teeth?
After eating a sugary snack, it is a very good idea to brush your teeth. Even if you are at work or school, it is a good idea to carry a little tube of toothpaste and a toothbrush with you, that you can use to clean your teeth if you eat something that is likely to hurt your teeth. This is also a good tip for individuals who have Invisalign or metal braces, since you do not want to put your Invisalign onto teeth that are not clean (as your aligners can trap bacteria and food particles that would otherwise be washed away by saliva against your teeth) and metal braces catch food pieces that you might not be able to fully clean away just with your tongue and sloshing some water around your mouth. If you start to realize that you have bad breath, taking a moment to brush your teeth, even if you have not eaten or drank anything that is particularly bad for your teeth, is also a good idea.
Traditional wisdom states that brushing your teeth in the morning and at night is adequate to keep your teeth clean. Some people will brush their teeth after every single meal, but this is rarely necessary. The goal is to start and maintain a habit of teeth brushing, so that even if you slack off one morning, the effort is made up that night. It is important to establish the habit and then to keep up with it, so that your teeth have the chance to fight off gingivitis and cavities on their own. The best time to brush teeth is what works for your schedule and what keeps your teeth clean. Most people brush their teeth when they wake up in the morning and then right before they go to bed. This is a good schedule that works for most of the population. If your diet, however, demands more frequent brushing, make it a part of your daily routine.
