The doctor answered the eternal question of when it is better to brush your teeth: before breakfast or after

According to the German microbiologist Giulia Enders in her book “Intestinal Charmes” (published in Lithuanian by Other Books, translated from German by Kristina Sprindžiūnaitė), we hardly produce saliva during sleep, so we throat.

G. Enders writes: “For those oral microbes, those eight hours of low salivation is free space. Arrogant bacteria can then manifest themselves much more, and the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat lack a moisturizing device.

As a result, brushing your teeth before and after bed is a smart idea. At night this reduces the bacteria in your mouth and the night begins with the small number of party guests – microbes. And in the morning the remains of the night shadows are excavated. Fortunately, in the morning, the salivary glands wake up with us and immediately begin to produce! At the latest, a slice of oriental bread or a toothbrush excites saliva as needed and kills or pushes germs into the stomach. The rest of the work is done by stomach acid. Those who are bothered by the odor from their mouth during the day probably kill bacteria that don’t smell enough. These tricks like to hide under a newly formed network of mucins, and there the antibacterial substances in saliva do not reach them as well. Then a tongue scraper or a prolonged gum chew will help: saliva that starts to flow abruptly during chewing removes the hiding places of mucins.

So now it’s probably more understandable why it’s important to brush your teeth at least twice a day, in the morning and at night. With that night, everything seems clear: we brush our teeth before going to bed, and when to do it in the morning: when we wake up or after breakfast? And what hardness of toothbrush is worth choosing? It is also unclear how to treat interdental floss: sometimes there are calls not to use it, which only damages the teeth.

Finally, why do even those who brush their teeth thoroughly still die or become sensitive?

Dentist Indrė Stankevičienė agreed to answer these and other frequently relevant questions about dental hygiene.

– How often do you need to brush your teeth? Is it enough in the morning and at night?

– It can be said that it is really enough to brush your teeth in the morning and at night, as long as you do it not only with the right frequency, but also with quality. Patients are often surprised that when dentists visit us, we find plaque on freshly cleaned teeth. But it also requires preventive visits to help you catch up, whether you are brushing your teeth really well, finding out which places are the hardest to access, and advising you on which oral care products should be chosen for you. It is very important that when cleaning your teeth, you do it systematically, deliberately, cleaning all your teeth and their surfaces in sequence with the appropriate movements. If this system is not followed, the cleaning of the teeth tends to become very chaotic, so that certain areas of the teeth are not constantly cleaned, which are later damaged by cavities and gums due to inflammation of the gums. It is also advisable to pay attention to the duration of cleaning – if you find yourself brushing your teeth for less than two minutes, you will probably not be able to clean all the surfaces of your teeth thoroughly.

– Should they brush their teeth in the morning only after waking up or after breakfast? I heard that immediately after a meal is not recommended, you have to wait. It is true?

– Although the time of brushing is not so strictly defined, there is a tendency, when various scientific pros and cons are established, that it would be better to brush your teeth before breakfast. This will remove the plaque that has built up overnight, activate saliva activity, and rinse your mouth with water after eating breakfast.

This brushing routine is especially suitable for those who eat acidic foods or drinks such as fruits, juices, water with lemon for breakfast. After such an hour of breakfast, it is not possible to brush your teeth at all, because the acids dissolve the tooth enamel on their own and using a toothbrush would damage it even more. If you eat breakfast like this, rinse your mouth with water after a meal, you can also chew sugar-free gum for a few minutes to activate salivation, and postpone brushing for an hour or clean before eating. The same rule applies to the consumption of acidic products at other times of the day.

– It is said that I prefer a soft toothbrush. Who is medium hardness for then?

– In fact, dentists now unanimously recommend the use of a soft toothbrush. Although it still looks like a normal toothbrush to Lithuanians, it is like an optimal medium between a hard and a soft brush, but with such a tool it is much easier to damage the tissues of the teeth and mouth. In practice, we come across a number of patients, especially men, who use improper cleaning techniques, a harder toothbrush, and strong cleaning power to damage tooth enamel. Later, the deeper tissues of the tooth are exposed, these teeth become more sensitive, unsightly and more easily damaged. Improper cleaning can damage not only the teeth, but also the gums, which can recede by exposing the roots of sensitive teeth.

– Should I use interdental dental floss? I read that some doctors do not recommend this.

– Today’s recommendations say that each of us should brush our teeth twice a day for two minutes and once a day with interdental floss or interdental brushes. That is what we must follow. Here, for example, a scientific study published this year that looked at older people and followed them for five years found that those who brushed interdental spaces were less likely to have periodontal disease and had fewer cavities. Researchers have even noted that during those five years, those who cleaned their interdental teeth lost an average of 1 tooth, and those who did not clean their interdental teeth lost 4.

The researchers noted that interdental cleaning was more beneficial for molars, but it is clear that all teeth need to be cleaned equally well. Those few minutes spent as recommended can significantly improve your oral health and save you a lot of time and financial resources later in treating various complications.

As with tooth brushing, it is very important to properly clean interdental teeth. It is not uncommon for our patients, who feel uncomfortable using these tools, and sometimes when not using them, shake hands and no longer clean their interdental spaces. I highly recommend everyone not to be embarrassed and to tell your doctor about the challenges you face, most of them are really easy to solve just by choosing the right tool and technique.