Is brushing your teeth a more complicated ritual than it seems? Recommendations have changed significantly over the years. Brushing time, frequency, movements, products to use... If you want to follow your dentist's instructions to the letter, brushing your teeth can become a real chore. What's more, professionals suggest that we 'unlearn' a habit that many of us have adopted.
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Rinsing your mouth after brushing your teeth, a common mistake
If you practice exemplary oral hygiene, then you probably know that you shouldn't brush your teeth immediately after a meal. It's counter-productive, so it's better to wait about 30 minutes after your snack. Colgate explains:
Foods containing citric acid, such as oranges, grapefruit and lemons, weaken enamel. Brushing your teeth just after eating this type of food can damage weakened enamel.
So, you've waited 30 minutes, got yourself a soft toothbrush so as not to damage your gums too much and finally you can proceed with this ritual. After brushing your teeth for two minutes (not forgetting the tongue), you spit out the toothpaste and rinse your mouth before going about your day. If your dentist saw you, he'd laugh at you with his perfect smile, because you've just made a mistake.
A little toothpaste residue never hurt anybody—in fact, it’s an important part of keeping your teeth healthy. https://t.co/AjFpYkioDO
— Mental Floss (@mental_floss) August 30, 2023
Read more:Watch out! This is the dirtiest part of your bathroom, and you always forget to wash it
The importance of fluoride in toothpaste
In fact, rinsing your mouth with water removes everything that was contained in the toothpaste. However, certain substances such as fluoride continue to act against tartar, acidity and plaque, even after brushing.
Of course, the idea is not to keep your mouth full of toothpaste and you can (or even should, really) spit out the excess. If the idea of having a little toothpaste irritates you, you can rinse your mouth out... with mouthwash. Mouthwash also contains substances that can act after rinsing.
But for once, the professional advice is to avoid the water!
This article has been translated from Gentside FR.
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