Importance of Rinsing Your Mouth Out After Eating
One of the most shocking facts about dental care is that you should wait to brush your teeth at least one hour after eating. Brushing shortly after a meal, in fact, may cause more harm than good.
The hardest material in your body, dental enamel, safeguards your teeth. However, the acids produced by eating can erode that protective enamel. These acids are at an all-time high when food is present. It is how the mouth works.
Saliva’s job is to naturally wash away food particles and provide your enamel with the balance required for it to continue protecting your teeth. This is your body’s natural way of balancing the acid levels in your mouth and restoring it to a normal pH level.
Even soft-bristled toothbrushes can be severely abrasive when excessive acid levels already compromise enamel. It’s important to let saliva do its work after eating. You can speed up the process by washing your mouth with water, mouthwash, or chewing sugarless gum, all of which will increase the amount of saliva in your mouth. This increased saliva will help your body naturally clean your teeth and bring the acid levels in your mouth back down to normal levels.
When to Rinse Your Mouth
When it comes to oral health, proper oral hygiene comprises various factors, none of which are exclusive to the other. For example, simply because people clean their teeth twice a day does not mean they need not floss. The same goes for rinsing. You should always follow the proper guidelines for oral care: rinsing, flossing, brushing, and getting your teeth professionally cleaned at least twice a year.
After eating, rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash to help battle gum disease, prevent cavities, and freshen your breath.
Bacteria colonize the mouth after a meal. While it may sound like something out of a horror film, this is how the mouth was constructed. These bacteria target and break down sugars and starches in meals. While this is a natural process, the large number of germs in the mouth should not be left there for an extended amount of time. Rinsing the mouth will wash away extra bacteria, protecting the teeth until they can be properly brushed.
Some food particles will remain between the teeth even after rinsing and brushing. That’s why it is recommended that you floss. Flossing eliminates food between the teeth and prevents plaque formation and gum disease. So, while rinsing (with water or mouthwash) is a crucial part of dental hygiene, it is not sufficient on its own.
You Can Count on Odin Dental!
Most of your oral hygiene will be done at home through rinsing, flossing, and brushing. However, when it is time for your six-month checkup, you need to reach out to a trusted dental professional such as Odin House Dental. We specialize in helping those in the Innaloo, WA area. Our professionals are kind, compassionate, and caring and there to assist when you need them the most. If you are experiencing a dental emergency or simply are looking for a new family dental office, give Odin House Dental a call at 08-9468-7182.
About Odin House Dental Surgery
Over the last two decades, Odin House Dental Surgery has been proud to serve the suburb of Innaloo and has grown to include 10 dentists, three oral health therapists, and 10 support staff. We have eight surgery rooms, a sterilisation room, a laboratory (where we make your mouthguards, whitening trays, and models) as well as two waiting rooms which include a small play area for children. We also have a unique “special room” complete with a massage chair, large screen TV, and even X Box!
Our dentists are all members of the Australian Dental Association and are local to Perth, so it would be no surprise if you have seen us out and about in the community.
