I know, I know…Momma told us to brush after every meal. Although I don’t have a problem with brushing after every meal, I do have a problem with when “after” should be. Every time we eat something, we have what dentists call an acid attack in our mouth. Simply, it is just that most foods cause a marked rise in acid in our mouth that lasts for about 20-30 minutes. This acid can soften our teeth making them more vulnerable to our enthusiastic, enamel blasting scrubbing. Therefore, it is wise to wait 30-60 minutes after eating before we brush. Rinsing with water immediately can really help with decreasing the potentially harmful effects of acid in our mouth.
We have wonderful food and access to great local fruits here in Camarillo. A dentist like me sees acidic erosion on teeth every day. Seeing that we need to keep these teeth for a long, long time, we need to watch out for these subtle attacks.
Let’s keep our teeth healthy and bright! Momma will be so proud.