Eating after brushing teeth at night has never been advisable. That is something we can’t
debate on. This is because of the extra bacteria you are adding to your teeth after brushing.
That aside, are you aware that saliva is less produced at night? And during this time bacteria multiply in millions? Shocking right!
is it bad to eat after brushing your teeth at night? In this article, we are going to touch on why you are not allowed to eat after brushing your teeth at night. Also, we’ll look at the mistakes you have been making while brushing and what can you eat after brushing teeth?. Let’s jump right in and expand in depth.
Brushing your teeth
It’s vital to always brush your teeth to keep your mouth fresh. But if a day goes without brushing, your mood will be ruined. While others won’t want to hold conversations with you because of your bad breath.
According to American Dental Association (ADA), you are expected to brush your teeth twice daily. Plus, ADA recommends toothpaste and mouthwash certified by them as the best products.
However, some brands don’t meet the ADA standards. Using them usually affects your teeth and causes more harm than good.
For this reason, the association recommends eating a balanced diet, flossing, and even having regular dental checkups. This keeps your oral health perfect besides brushing.
Which begs the question, how many times do you book an appointment with your dentist? You need to visit the dentist after six months. Therefore, you need to start making changes.
What happens when eating after brushing teeth at night?
Eating after brushing teeth before bed? This is a question that makes one wonder about their dental health. Some are even forced to rethink taking a midnight snack. Well, you should!
To begin with, it’s not healthy to eat after brushing your teeth. This is because you allow bacteria to build up after brushing. That, in turn, causes tooth decay, cavities, and even gum problems. Furthermore, a combination of all makes your life miserable.
That is because the millions of micro bacteria multiplying in your teeth and end up attacking your gums and enamel.
Hence, you will find bacteria such as streptococcus mutans and streptococcus lactobacillus taking advantage of the new environment to thrive in millions.
This is why you need to brush your teeth to remove the extra food particles. That strengthens your enamel and provides protection. Therefore, we don’t advocate eating after brushing teeth at night.
Bacteria to your teeth
As we all know, not all bacteria are harmful to your health, let alone your teeth. Certain bacteria are truly beneficial. But this doesn’t change the fact that eating after brushing teeth at night is unhealthy. But let’s look at the beneficial bacteria to your oral health.
Your oral health is essential, so you need to brush your teeth twice a day. That must be done in the morning and evening, to be precise.
But did you know after brushing your teeth, not all bacteria are removed? Here is where the beneficial bacteria come in. One of the beneficial bacteria we have in our mouths secretes the pellicle, a sticky layer.
The layer helps to protect your teeth from acidic substances and abrasions. But that’s not a green light to go ahead eating after brushing teeth at night. If you do so, you are inviting harmful bacteria which are not kind to your dental biofilm.
8 Tips for better dental health
For your oral health, there are certain things you need to know. In this section, we are going to highlight some of the tips to improve your oral health.
1.Spit and don’t rinse
It is a big question nowadays that should I rinse after brushing my teeth? In most cases, when brushing your teeth, you rinse instead of spitting. This is not recommended since, at night, you tend to produce less saliva. This, in turn, leaves your teeth without protection against acid attacks. That is why you are strongly advised to brush your teeth before heading to bed.
Also, the only thing you are allowed after brushing your teeth at night brushing is water. So if you are thinking of a midnight snack, it’s high time you consider it. That is because the water gives the Fluoride the perfect opportunity to work and protect your enamel while sleeping. But if it’s a must you drink water, it should be done 30 minutes after brushing.
At the same time, you are not allowed to rinse your mouth after brushing either with water or mouthwash. Instead, you are expected to spit and allow the Fluoride to rest. This, in turn, protects your enamel from harmful bacteria. And by doing so, you can reduce tooth decay by 25 %.
2.Use fluoride toothpaste & disclosing tablets
Which toothpaste do you use to brush your teeth? Regardless of the brand, it must have Fluoride. This is an element that helps to replenish lost minerals in your teeth and make the enamel stronger. That, in turn, prevents tooth decay in the long run.
For this reason, we recommend using toothpaste that contains 1350-1500 ppmf. The concentration offers maximum protection. With that said, not all brands offer this particular concentration of Fluoride.
Read the back of the bands to identify the ingredients used and the volume. At the same time, your child’s toothpaste might not have the right concentration. Therefore, you need to consult with your pediatrician on the ideal toothpaste for your kids.
On the other hand, we tend to miss some spots when brushing our teeth. This could be because of time. To help with identifying the missed areas, we suggest using disclosing tablets. The tablets can be obtained from a drugstore or even a supermarket.
3.Brush up on your skill
The third trick when it comes to your dental health is how you brush your teeth. Your brushing technique plays a crucial role in your oral health since brushing helps to remove dental plaque, which is very sticky. You can also check wisdom tooth removal
The layer usually forms immediately after eating, though it doesn’t become nasty or harmful to you immediately. However, after 12 hours, the coating becomes harmful. What the bacteria do is consume sugar and then produce acid, which destroys the enamel.
In this case, you’ll begin to develop holes in your teeth. They are microscopic, so you can’t see them until they become more significant to form dental cavities. Hence, how do you brush your teeth? According to research, one should take at least two minutes to brush their teeth.
4.Watch your sugar intake
Last but not least is checking your sugar intake. Sugar offers the main breeding ground for bacteria in the mouth. However, there are two types of sugar you need to know: intrinsic and free sugar.
Intrinsic sugars are primarily found in fruits and natural foods. In most cases, they don’t lead to tooth decay. But when it comes to free sugars, there is a need to worry. The free sugars you consume mostly lead to tooth cavities, among other dental disorders.
As we mentioned earlier, bacteria consume such sugars to produce acid, which corrodes the enamel. Plus, they love sugar because it’s easier to digest. To avoid tooth decay in both adults and children, the World Health Organization stipulates your sugar consumption should be maintained below 5%.
Therefore, children and adults above the age of 11 must stick to a limit of eight tablespoons of sugar a day. That translates to 30 grams. To keep track of your sugar intake, we suggest using the change4life App.
5.Mistakes to avoid while brushing
Now that you know the techniques to use to avoid dental cavities and other oral disorders. It’s time to look at the common mistakes you have been making. In most cases, you might be following all the techniques mentioned above, but a few errors have left you wondering how you end up with dental cavities. Well, below are some of the common mistakes you have been making.
6.Using your toothbrush for long
This is where most people go wrong when it comes to taking care of their oral health. Yes, you might be brushing from all the right angles, but if your brush is old, you are in for a big shock. According to a recent study, a normal brush has a lifespan of three months and afterward should be replaced since you can count the number of uses you have made to 200. It’s wise to replace it after three months.
This is because broken bristles can’t clean your teeth. Instead, they form bacteria after a few weeks. The bacteria get attached to the brush, which makes it harder to clean your teeth.
7.Not brushing your teeth long enough
This is another thing most people don’t take seriously when it comes to their dental health. You will find one brushing their teeth in under a minute, and they call it a day. More so after eating at night. However, in the real sense, you have just spread the bacteria over your gums.
A study has proven that you need to brush your teeth for at least two minutes. And once you are done, spit after 10 minutes. This ensures the Fluoride reaches all sections of your teeth before spitting.
8.Storing your brush in the bathroom
Eating after brushing teeth at night is one thing, but storing your brush in the bathroom is a whole different case. Most of us are guilt of storing toothbrushes in the bathroom. Well, that’s not a good thing and should be avoided.
Your dental hygiene is very important and it starts from where you keep your brush. Did you know your toothbrush might be having traces of faeces on it? Disgusting right? But it’s true
As you flash the toilet water is through in all directions. Especially if you have kids in the house. Now imagine the effects of using the same brush over and over again. You might develop gum problems or even other health issues.
For this reason, we recommend storing your brush outside the bathroom, you could keep it at your nightstand, or even medicine cabinet.
Price comparsion for teeth cleaning products
1. Waterpik WP-660 Water Flosser Electric Dental Countertop.
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- The lowest price of Waterpik WP-660 Water Flosser Electric Dental Countertop Professional Oral Irrigator For Teeth, Aquarius, White was obtained on 12/21/2024 10:31 PM.
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2. Waterpik Cordless Water Flosser Rechargeable Portable Oral Irrigator.
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| Price history for Waterpik Cordless Water Flosser Rechargeable Portable Oral Irrigator for Travel & Home - Cordless Advanced, Wp-560 White | |
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- All prices mentioned above are in United States dollar.
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| Price history for Waterpik Cordless Water Flosser Rechargeable Portable Oral Irrigator for Travel & Home - Cordless Advanced, Wp-560 White | |
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3. Waterpik Cordless Water Flosser.
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- The lowest price of Waterpik Cordless Plus Portable Water Flosser Oral Irrigator, White was obtained on 12/20/2024 8:05 AM.
4. Waterpik ION Professional Cordless Water Flosser Teeth Cleaner.
| Price history for Waterpik ION Professional Cordless Water Flosser Teeth Cleaner Rechargeable and Portable, White, 1 Count | |
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- All prices mentioned above are in United States dollar.
- This product is available at Amazon.com, Walmart.com.
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- The lowest price of Waterpik ION Professional Cordless Water Flosser Teeth Cleaner Rechargeable and Portable, White, 1 Count was obtained on 12/26/2024 9:14 AM.
| Price history for Waterpik ION Professional Cordless Water Flosser Teeth Cleaner Rechargeable and Portable, White, 1 Count | |
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5. Waterpik CC-01 Complete Care 9.0 Sonic Electric Toothbrush.
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- The lowest price of Waterpik - Complete Care 5.0 Water Flosser and Triple Sonic Toothbrush - White was obtained on 12/22/2024 1:53 AM.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long after brushing my teeth can I eat?
You should wait for 30 minutes before eating after brushing your teeth. That’s because after brushing, your enamel tends to be weak, which provides room for other dental problems. For this reason, you should wait for 30 minutes before eating. This allows the enamel time to reconstruct itself.
Can I drink milk after brushing my teeth?
Drinking milk is not as perfect for your teeth after brushing. Yes, it might be good for your stomach, but the narrative is different when it comes to your teeth. That is because it contains sugar which provides a perfect breeding ground for harmful bacteria. Hence we don’t recommend drinking milk after brushing teeth or eating after brushing teeth at night.
What should I not eat after brushing my teeth?
You are advised against eating foods that contain citric acid. This is because they weaken your enamel leaving you vulnerable to other dental problems. Hence avoid grapefruits, oranges, and even lemons.
Can I drink water after brushing?
Drinking water after brushing isn’t advisable as well. That’s because water removes the fluorine, which is supposed to protect your enamel from harmful bacteria. Instead of drinking water or rinsing your mouth with it, we suggest using mouthwash. And if you have to drink water, do it after thirty minutes.
Can you eat after brushing your teeth at night?
No, It’s not advisable to after brushing your teeth at night.
Best time to brush your teeth?
Morning and evening is the best time to brush your teeth
Brush before or after breakfast?
45 minutes to an hour in the wake of eating to brush your teeth is the most ideal approach.
Hungry after brushing teeth at night?
It’s not advisable to eat anything immediately after eating.
Conclusion
Dental or oral health is very important; hence we don’t advocate for eating after brushing teeth at night. That’s because at night there is a higher chance you’ll develop bacteria unlike in the day. This is because you produce less saliva at night.
On the other hand, after brushing your teeth, clean your tongue as well. The tongue also carries bacteria buildups which affect your teeth. Last but not least remember to always floss and brush twice a day. And if you using dentures, you can check How to store dentures long term?
