While it can be a good idea to brush your teeth after each meal, you should probably wait for a period before you do. Here, we will explain how long you should wait, and why.
Certain foods and drinks – especially those high in carbohydrates and sugars – spur the creation of certain bacteria in your mouth that attack your tooth enamel for at least twenty minutes after you eat a meal or have a snack. By brushing right after you eat, you will get rid of bacteria before they attack your tooth enamel.
You should know, however, that brushing your teeth after eating can sometimes affect your tooth enamel. According to Bupa, if you’ve consumed anything acidic, you should avoid brushing your teeth for at least an hour. Foods containing citric acid , like oranges, grapefruit and lemons, weaken tooth enamel. Brushing too soon after eating them can damage the enamel in its weakened state.
Consequently, it’s a good idea to brush your teeth before eating an acidic food and to drink a glass of water when you are finished to wash away the acids. As an alternative to waiting to brush your teeth, try eating nutritious foods that are low in carbohydrates and sugar after eating something acidic. This will help reduce the harmful acids that such foods can create.
In addition, prolonged exposure to phosphoric acid, which can be found in soft drinks like regular and diet fizzy drinks, can erode hard tissues from the tooth surface. Acid erosion causes permanent damage to your teeth. To keep acid erosion to a minimum, limit snacking between meals and be mindful of consumption of soft drinks and sugary snacks.