Two Of The Most Commonly Asked Brushing Questions: The Answers May Surprise You

Breakfast of Champions

If you could only brush once a day, when would the best time be?

Most people have developed their own oral hygiene routine, which has been cemented into their brains over years of practice. It is one of those things that nobody really thinks about anymore, but maybe they should. When people are asked the question, “if you could only brush once a day, what would the best time be?”, many of them respond that best time to brush is right after you eat breakfast, or right after dessert, both of which are wrong. It turns out that the absolute best time to brush is right after you wake up in the morning, before you eat breakfast. Here are the reasons why…

• Saliva is at its lowest in the morning. Overnight your mouth will dry out, giving bacteria a better home to grow in. People typically have the highest amount of bacteria in their mouths when they wake up, a strong contributor to morning breath. Brushing first thing not only swishes away bacteria, but it also kick starts your saliva production, which is your bodies best natural defense against colonizing bacteria.
• Bacteria begin to metabolize sugars immediately after you start eating. This means that if you wake up and have breakfast before brushing, you are feeding all those bacteria on your teeth. However, if you brush first, you are clearing them out before they have a chance to eat sugars and start producing acids that can damage your teeth.
• The acid found in many foods and drinks, such as grapefruit and orange juice, softens the enamel of teeth. This means that if you brush immediately after eating you are at a higher risk of enamel abrasion. If you brush soft teeth you will scrape enamel away faster than it can be replaced, leading to issues. You need to be mindful of when you brush, because brushing consistently at the wrong times can be detrimental.

Toothpaste, Floss, Mouthwash

What is the best order for brushing, flossing, and mouthwashing?

Everyone can agree that it is best to use mouthwash after flossing and brushing, but what do the experts say should come first, brushing or flossing. Most people brush first and floss second, if they floss at all. This probably comes from childhood when they did not floss, and then when flossing was added to the routine it naturally came second. But is this the most logical spot to floss? The best order to go in is…

• Floss first. While this may surprise some people who are used to brushing first and never thought to do it any other way, it is actually best to floss first. By removing the bits of gunk from between your teeth before brushing, you allow the fluoride in the toothpaste to reach and coat more of your teeth.
• Brush second. It is still important to brush before using mouth wash to clear off any sticky bits of food covering your teeth so that the mouth wash can reach the entire surface of every tooth.
• Mouthwash third. Once your mouth is clean, you can now go in and kill off the extra bacteria that are still hanging around.

Dr. Potts is a gentle, caring dentist who uses the most advanced materials and procedures available. He practices comfortable, health-centered dentistry, with a strong emphasis on getting to know each patient. In addition to his technical proficiency, Dr. Potts is a careful listener. He makes sure to understand what you want and will explain beforehand what treatment is best for your individual needs, along with all options available to you. Check out our Twitter, Facebook page, and website.