When is the best time to brush your teeth? Can I brush my teeth several times a day? Should you brush your teeth before or after meals in the morning? And when is the best time to care for your oral cavity in the evening?

There are people who believe that you need to brush your teeth after every meal. Of course, this is only to the detriment of tooth enamel. It can also lead to dry mouth, mucosal damage and irritation.

It is really necessary to brush your teeth 2 times a day, morning and evening. Brushing your teeth only once a day will inevitably lead to problems.

Evening teeth brushing is best done immediately after a late meal, and not right before bedtime, when the body is already sleepy. After all, the main purpose of an evening toothbrush is to remove all food debris. Therefore, it is better to spend a little more time on this in order to ensure high-quality cleaning of your teeth.

After that, it is better not to eat anything - let nothing threaten your teeth during sleep.

When is it correct to brush your teeth in the morning? First of all, it depends on how well you brushed your teeth overnight.

If in the evening your teeth and oral cavity were not well cleaned, then in the morning you need to brush your teeth immediately after waking up. Otherwise, everything that has accumulated on the teeth reacts with food and this is harmful to dental health.

If in the evening you took care of your teeth and oral cavity, then it is better to brush your teeth in the morning after a meal, and not before it. During the night, a pilicle is formed - a thin protective organic shell (film) of the tooth - proteins that are able to transfer calcium into the tooth and overnight the plaque is not fully formed.

1. In a dream, salivation decreases, which means that microbes accumulate and actively multiply in the oral cavity, acidity increases. If a person does not clean the enamel before eating, then in the morning the bacteria along with the food will enter the esophagus.
2. In the morning, many people experience a bad taste, a bitter taste in their mouth, or feel like they have bad breath. In such a situation, of course, you want to first restore the normal microflora of the oral cavity, and then take food.
3. The acids found in foods and drinks negatively affect the enamel. The villi of the brush damage the protective coating during plaque removal, acid molecules penetrate into deeper layers, which can lead to the destruction of dentin. After eating, especially when eating acidic foods (especially apples), carbonated drinks, the sensitivity of the enamel increases, and mechanical action only aggravates the situation.
4. The fluoride paste strengthens the enamel and supplies it with essential minerals, thus protecting it while eating.

Reasons to brush your teeth after breakfast

1. The bits of food that get stuck in your teeth during breakfast serve as a breeding ground for bacteria and germs. This, in turn, is the cause of bad breath and gum disease.
2. Eating solid foods can accidentally injure your gums or mouth. In this case, the antimicrobial components that make up the paste will not allow the inflammatory process to start.
3. If you eat after brushing your teeth, the taste of food will differ from the usual, and not for the better.
4. During sleep, foreign particles cannot enter the oral cavity. All bacteria are part of the microflora, so they are not dangerous. Thus, there is no difference between microorganisms that live in the oral cavity during the day and those that appear when a person is sleeping.
5. Exposure to abrasive particles before meals can stain the enamel, especially when drinking coffee or tea. On the other hand, treatment after a meal with a whitening agent, on the other hand, will return them to their natural color.

Finding a compromise

Despite the fact that in the medical environment there are two such different, diametrically opposed approaches to the issue of brushing your teeth before and after breakfast, you can find a way that will take into account the positive aspects of each of them.

1. To neutralize germs that can multiply in the mouth at night, you can use a mouthwash or medicated herbal decoction before bed. It is allowed to rinse your mouth with an antibacterial composition in the morning before meals. It will also be useful to remove the plaque from the tongue that has formed overnight. You should brush your teeth no earlier than half an hour after breakfast if the food contains acids that are dangerous for the enamel. You can drink green tea throughout the day as a mouthwash because it also has antimicrobial effects.
2. You can brush your teeth with paste before breakfast, and after eating, rinse your mouth with at least plain water.
3. The easiest way is to purchase an antibacterial paste that lasts up to 12 hours. Such a tool will protect the enamel from germs both night and day.
4. The last option, which is applicable only with absolutely healthy enamel and gums, is brushing your teeth before and after breakfast. Most people have dental problems, so it is better not to take risks, but ask a specialist to assess the condition of the oral cavity.

If for some reason you skipped the evening brushing or ate after the procedure, then using a toothbrush and toothpaste is best in the morning on an empty stomach, regardless of when you usually do it. It is undesirable for harmful substances in the oral cavity to enter the stomach with food.

It is difficult to say unequivocally when it is better to brush your teeth: before or after breakfast. Each person must decide for himself which of the methods of caring for the oral cavity to give preference.

Good teeth cleaning is very important. This will help prevent very serious health problems from developing. Diseases of the teeth, like any other disease, are easier to prevent through prophylaxis than to cure later. Even the best doctor will not be able to help preserve your teeth if you yourself do not make an effort to do this and do not observe oral hygiene.

According to the WHO, the overwhelming number of people - about 95% - about how to brush your teeth properlyare very vague. After all, oral hygiene is far from just the use of toothpaste and a brush. There are a large number of highly effective hygiene products on the market today, and oral care should now be more versatile.

How to brush your teeth in the morning

The most important rule remains unchanged - you need to brush your teeth in the morning and in the evening, before breakfast and before bedtime. During the morning brushing of your teeth, you need to use hygienic toothpastes, if necessary, with a whitening effect. The toothbrush should move with scraping movements in a vertical direction along the tooth: from the neck to the upper occluding surface. The brush moves without pressure, neatly. First, the outer side of the tooth is cleaned, then the inner side, then the chewing surface of the tooth, in a circular motion. At the end of the cleaning, the teeth are closed, and the gums are massaged with the brush, in a circular forward motion. After that, you need to rinse your mouth with water. If you suddenly notice, you should tell the dentist.

After that, you need to clear the tongue. You can use a special spoon or the same toothbrush. Movement along the tongue should be in the direction from its root to the tip. The tongue is gradually cleared of plaque, after which the mouth is again rinsed with water.

At the end of the morning procedure, a fluoride gel is applied to the teeth, which will strengthen and protect the tooth enamel. During the day, to clean teeth from food debris, rinse your mouth after meals and use toothpicks. This reduces the concentration of acids and sugars in the oral cavity, thereby reducing the risk of caries. The use of special chewing gums is allowed - but they should not be chewed for more than 15 minutes.

How to brush your teeth in the evening

An evening therapeutic and hygienic procedure for brushing your teeth requires a thorough approach. During the next eight hours, the teeth will need the most reliable protection, because at this time they will be "unattended." First, during the evening procedure, you need to clean the gaps between the teeth using a brush or floss. The dental floss is passed along the approximal surface of the tooth, then it is transferred to the adjacent tooth, rising up along its approximal surface. Floss requires some skill and to make the process easier, a special floss holder can be used. Be careful when brushing your teeth, too sharp and rough movements can injure the papillae.

Having cleared the interdental spaces, proceed to the main cleaning of your teeth using a therapeutic and prophylactic toothpaste and a brush. The therapeutic and prophylactic agent is chosen depending on what problems exist in the oral cavity. If it is necessary to pay great attention to the gums, they should be massaged with a special stimulator. Thanks to this procedure, blood circulation in the gums will improve, the metabolism in the mucous membrane is activated, which will prevent the occurrence of periodontal disease. At the end of the evening brushing, a fluoride gel is applied to the teeth. The product does not need to be washed off; it should be left on the teeth overnight.

How to properly brush teeth for children

It is very important to take proper care of children's teeth and start caring for them as early as possible. Some parents believe that milk teeth do not require a caring attitude, since they will soon fall out anyway. But this opinion is erroneous and in many ways even harmful. Caries can even affect the teeth of a baby, and if a chronic focus of infection forms in the mouth, this can cause various diseases of the body - diseases of the kidneys, heart, joints.

The process of brushing a child's teeth is slightly different than that of an adult. Milk teeth have very fragile and thin enamel, children's gums are very vulnerable, delicate. It is necessary to start oral hygiene in children from six months of age, the first procedure will be to wipe the tongue and teeth of the child with a damp cloth. And from one year old you can start brushing your teeth with a toothbrush and paste. The softest children's toothbrushes are used, without sharp corners and surfaces, and hygienic children's paste. Other means and devices begin to be used much later.

When starting to brush a child's tooth, you must try, first of all, not to cause injury. The cleaning process can keep your child interested if you make him a game rather than a boring duty. Tell your baby how to brush his teeth correctly and how important it is to have beautiful and healthy teeth. After creating the desired mood, you can start cleaning your teeth from plaque in the same way as you brush the teeth of adults.

Parents brush their baby's teeth up to two years old, after which they can entrust this work to the child himself. But you need to continue to control the process until the child himself learns to brush his teeth well. When the milk teeth fall out and the permanent ones grow, you can begin to resort to other means of oral hygiene, except for a toothbrush and toothpaste. During this period, it is already possible to teach the child to use fluoridating gels, floss and brushes.

Proper teeth cleaning and regular dental check-ups are very important. This is what preventive oral care is all about, which will help prevent dental diseases. It sounds trite, but it's true: dental health is in a person's own hands.

Many people do not floss, but in any condition and at any time of the night, brush their teeth before bed. Doing it right! Here's what happens if you don't brush your teeth twice a day ...

A warm and humid oral environment is ideal for the growth and suppression of all types of bacteria. The most common preventable disease is caused by bacteria Streptococcus mutans. The most favorable for them is an acidic environment.

Carbohydrates (coffee, sugar right there) increase the acidity of the oral environment, so S. mutans and other bacteria multiply and destroy teeth at a super speed. The only way to stop the process- remove them with a toothbrush. SpecialistsADA (American Dental Association) recommend brushing your teeth at least twice a day.

What happens if you don't brush your teeth twice a day?

Those who do not brush their teeth in the morning and in the evening will have a rather deplorable ending, namely tooth decay in the future, as well as permanent infectious diseases that will require serious medical intervention.

Here's another big problem! Local and general immunity wards off bacterial attack, but must be maintained. Poor oral hygiene undermines the body's defenses and even contributes to heart disease (proven!).

Before going to bed, it is necessary to clean off the accumulated plaque, because the saliva that cleans the tooth during the day becomes much less at night.

If you still do not want to strain and brush your teeth once, then do it at least in the evening.

Brushing your teeth before bed is a must!

Of course, brushing your teeth once is better than not brushing at all, but it's ideal to do it all the same three times: in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening. Every time we eat, we feed the bacteria and help them multiply, which leads to tooth decay and periodontitis.

A recent study found that Korean adults who are taught from childhood to focus on oral hygiene three times a day have healthier teeth and gums than Americans and Australians who are accustomed to brushing their teeth twice.

Read also:

Brushing your teeth twice a day, morning and evening, people get used to since childhood. But brushing your teeth before breakfast or after is a topic for serious debate between dentists and hygienists. Previously, doctors insisted that the usual hygienic procedure should be carried out after breakfast. Now doubts have arisen in this postulate. Some experts believe that brushing your teeth should be done on an empty stomach. Both those and others put forward their arguments in defense of one point of view or another.

1. The amount of saliva secreted during sleep is much less than during the day. Therefore, during the night, acidity rises in the mouth, microorganisms multiply and accumulate more actively. If you eat breakfast with unclean teeth, harmful germs can enter your esophagus and stomach.
2. Due to the unpleasant sensations in the oral cavity in the morning, there is always a desire to thoroughly brush your teeth before eating, to freshen your breath.
3. Toothpastes and powders contain fluoride substances that protect tooth enamel from the effects of fruit and other acids contained in foods that are included in the breakfast menu. If your teeth are brushed before breakfast, it means that they will no longer be subject to the destructive influence of external factors.

Many dentists believe that teeth need to be cleaned after breakfast, this will allow not only doing a morning hygiene procedure, but at the same time removing food debris in the oral cavity.

1. To remove food particles from between your teeth after eating, which can rot, cause unpleasant odors and cause cavities, you need to brush your teeth after breakfast.
2. Brushing your teeth after eating, due to the presence of antiseptics in the paste, disinfects the oral cavity, promotes healing of wounds and microcracks.
3. If you eat breakfast after brushing your teeth, the aftertaste of the toothpaste may make the food taste bad.
4. Proponents of brushing teeth after breakfast believe that the microflora in the oral cavity does not change during the day. It is harmless, there is no need to brush your teeth before eating.
5. Mechanical action of a toothbrush and abrasive toothpaste leads to damage to the enamel of the teeth, so they can change color after drinking coffee or tea.
6. If the toothpaste is whitening, then brushing your teeth with it after breakfast will restore their color.

How to find a compromise

While doctors are arguing: when you need to brush your teeth - before breakfast or after, it is better to choose a rational grain from both options and apply it in practice.

1. Brush your teeth before and after meals. This option is only suitable for happy owners of strong healthy teeth with good enamel. Those who are not confident in their teeth should consult a dentist.
2. Brush your teeth no later than half an hour before meals, and immediately before sitting down to the table - rinse your mouth with plain clean water.
3. In the morning, instead of brushing your teeth, use a decoction of medicinal herbs or a ready-made rinse balm. It is necessary to remove the plaque formed overnight on the tongue.

   Attention! Green tea is a good natural antimicrobial agent. You can drink a cup of it before meals and several times during the day.

4. Correctly selected, high-quality, antibacterial toothpaste of modern developments helps to protect teeth for 12-24 hours from the effects of a harmful environment, microorganisms, acids.

Brushing your teeth before and after eating is a controversial issue. The best solution is to brush your teeth in the morning before breakfast, and after breakfast, rinse your mouth with water or salt solution.

Whichever option is chosen from the two proposed, the main goal is to keep your teeth healthy for many years. The quality of chewing and assimilation of food, and hence the health of internal organs, depends on their condition. Everything else depends on the individual preferences and desires of the person.

You need to brush your teeth correctly

Doctors are sure that rarely does anyone brush their teeth correctly. The reasons for this are either laziness, perhaps a lack of time, especially in the morning, or not knowing how to clean them correctly.
The recommended duration of brushing your teeth is 2-4 minutes. The movements of the toothbrush should be similar to sweeping, and at the final stage - circular to polish the enamel and massage the gums. Care is required here to avoid damaging the gums, especially if they are prone to bleeding. By the way, this is a reason to see a doctor. Perhaps this is the beginning of periodontitis.
The outer, inner surface of the teeth and the surface of the tongue must be cleaned. For this, modern toothbrushes have a special part, the reverse side is grooved. To clean the tongue from plaque, there are devices in the form of scrapers, spatulas, special brushes.

Important! Dentists strongly recommend using dental floss to remove food particles from the spaces between your teeth. In this case, you also need to protect the gums from injury. Dental floss or floss is mainly made of nylon, it is flavored, with a special impregnation, different ways of twisting, flat or round section. The method of application is simple: after winding the thread on the middle or index fingers of both hands, cover the tooth with the thread along the back surface and gently drive from top to bottom, trying not to touch the gum.

After the procedure, you need to rinse the mouth with saline or a special rinse from the pharmacy in order to further disinfect the mucous membrane. As a result, the freshness of the breath and the mouth remains longer. After rinsing, you can take food no earlier than half an hour later.

This picture shows the correct technique for cleansing the oral cavity from plaque and bacteria. He does not forget to brush his teeth from the inside and use floss to clean the interdental spaces.

A toothbrush is important

Particular attention should be paid to the selection of a good toothbrush. Too hard bristles can damage tooth enamel and injure gums. Too soft will not cope well with plaque. For children, the toothbrush should be small in size with soft bristles.
Modern developments offer brushes with different directions of bristles, their different levels of arrangement for more effective cleaning of hard-to-reach areas. The choice is large, you just have to choose the one you need.

Important! Hygiene and proper storage of the toothbrush will protect against harmful microorganisms from entering the oral cavity.

• after brushing your teeth, wash the brush with warm water and soap;
• store the toothbrush in a dry place, preferably in a case, to avoid the multiplication of a harmful environment and dust settling;
• use a portable ultraviolet sterilizer to disinfect bristles;
• disinfect the brush twice a week by immersing it in hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol for a few minutes;
• store the toothbrush upright, bristles up.

It is recommended to change your toothbrush every three months. This is due to the fact that it loses its properties, loses its shape, the bristles are deformed. The brush no longer cleans teeth effectively enough, it is a carrier of bacteria. Some have a color indicator applied to them with food coloring. Its discoloration means replacement is needed.
Advanced toothbrushes are electric and ultrasonic. Their effectiveness is higher than usual, they are better at removing plaque and food debris. It is preferable to use an ultrasonic brush, it has a more gentle effect on the tooth enamel than an electric one. In addition, this brush cleans 5mm deep between the tooth and the gum, it is suitable for cleaning implants and braces.

Toothbrushes are necessary for cleaning the tooth surface and gums from plaque, and it also allows you to massage the gums, which is very useful for preventing bleeding gums and subsequent all kinds of diseases.

Choosing a toothpaste

The toothpaste market is wide and varied. Sometimes it's hard to figure out which one to choose. There are a few simple rules:

1. Children under 6 years of age need to use less abrasive baby toothpaste without additives or fragrances to avoid allergic reactions.
2. If salivation is reduced, then it is better to choose a paste with reduced foaming and special enzymes.
3. The composition and purpose of the toothpaste is always indicated on the tube: hygienic, therapeutic and prophylactic, anti-inflammatory, whitening, for sensitive teeth, saline, strengthening the gums. This information helps you choose the right paste.
4. Highly abrasive and chemical bleaching pastes can damage tooth enamel over time.
5. The toothpaste needs to be changed periodically to achieve the best healing effect.

Toothpaste is a product intended for oral hygiene, prevention and treatment of diseases. With its help, the oral cavity is cleansed, for this, abrasive, antimicrobial, bacteriostatic, stimulating and surfactants are introduced into its composition.

Oral hygiene before and after meals

If you do not pay enough attention to oral hygiene, and not just teeth, before and after eating, the likelihood of developing a number of diseases increases:

• gingivitis - inflammation of the gums due to the accumulation of plaque containing microbes;
• stomatitis - a painful lesion of the mucous membrane in the form of ulcers;
• caries - a pathology of the hard tissues of the tooth, which leads to its destruction;
• periodontitis - inflammation of the gums around the tooth (periodontium), accompanied by the formation of gum "pockets", the release of pus, loosening and loss of teeth;
• periodontal disease - a systemic disease that is confused with periodontitis, is expressed in atrophy of the bone tissue of the interdental septa, is rare.

To avoid such problems, you need to carefully care for your oral cavity, regularly performing simple hygiene procedures. These include:

• thorough brushing of teeth, tongue twice a day;
• rinsing after each meal with water or mouth freshener;
• using dental floss as needed to remove food debris between teeth;
• use of an irrigator.

At least once every six months, you need to visit the dentist for examination and restoration of teeth.

Insufficient dental care can lead to damage to hard tissues, which begins with the destruction of enamel. In the absence of preventive measures, the carious process spreads in depth and can lead to tooth loss.

What is an irrigator

A device for removing plaque and food debris from the oral cavity using a jet of water under pressure. It is also used to massage the gums. Tap water is not advisable for use in the irrigator. It should be boiled or well peeled, at room temperature.
Irrigators come in a variety of models, portable and stationary. Irrigator operating modes:

• jet - under the strong pressure of water, pieces of food are washed out;
• shower room - less pressure removes small particles;
• gum hydromassage mode.

Portable models are powered by a rechargeable battery, stationary - from the mains with a set of individual attachments for several people. The irrigator does not replace daily brushing of teeth, it is recommended to use it 2-3 times a week. Well suited for those with dental crowns and bridges. Before using the device, people with cardiovascular diseases need a doctor's consultation.

An irrigator is a modern device for maintaining oral hygiene at an extremely high level, which is advisable to use after brushing your teeth with a toothbrush. Its action consists in feeding a thin stream of liquid under pressure into the interdental spaces, under fixed dentures.

Folk remedies for oral hygiene

Folk remedies for oral hygiene should be used with caution so as not to cause mechanical damage to the enamel of the teeth, not to damage the gums. This is especially true for the recommendation to brush your teeth with baking soda or salt instead of toothpaste.

Attention! Traditional medicine for toothache recommends a decoction of sage, yarrow, oak bark. Oak bark is good for starting periodontitis, gingivitis.

To eliminate bad breath - halitosis, it is advised:

• rinse your mouth with 3% hydrogen peroxide several times a day;
• a few drops of alcoholic infusion of horseradish juice (root) dissolve in a glass of warm boiled water, use for rinsing;
• for the same purpose, use a decoction of herbs - mint, oregano St. John's wort in a ratio of 4: 2: 2, 3 tablespoons per 0.3 liters of boiling water, insist;
• infusion of wormwood and St. John's wort;
• infusion with celery root on vodka - 1 tsp. a glass of water;
• 1 tsp salt for 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for gargling;
• there are fried seeds;
• finish the meal with ground ginger - 0.5 tsp.

A natural antiseptic, parsley, helps to relieve pain in stomatitis. You need to chew a leaf or rinse your mouth with its juice. Effective anti-inflammatory agents are decoctions of chamomile, calendula flowers, linden, plantain leaves. Their use also aids in the healing of wounds and mouth ulcers.
It is good to massage the gums using fir, sea buckthorn, olive oils, tea tree oil. Horseradish juice and celandine in decoctions and infusions should be used carefully, in small quantities.

Questions and answers on the topic

Question

Does it make sense to brush your teeth in the morning before breakfast?

Answer 1

The most correct option is to rinse your mouth before breakfast in order to get the right taste during meals, get rid of detritus and dead epithelial cells that have accumulated overnight, and then thoroughly brush your teeth 30-60 minutes after breakfast.
If you brush your teeth immediately after eating, the natural component of teeth protection may suffer (for example, saliva lysozyme will be washed off, which is especially active after eating and “works” in a film on the tooth enamel).

Answer 2

The gold standard is brushing your teeth after breakfast and before bed. And it is also necessary to brush between all teeth with a thread. If you brush your teeth before breakfast, then only to remove the biofilm of bacteria, and after a meal, thoroughly brush it. Before breakfast, it is good to brush the tongue with a brush, the taste will be stronger if the papillae of the tongue are not coated. And a thread at the first opportunity, but at least 1 time per day.

Answer 3

The digestive process begins in the mouth - and brushing your teeth just before breakfast can kill the microflora necessary for this. Most likely, this will interfere with digestion, or at least make it difficult and slow down; the body will spend more resources, and the stomach will humbly hint at this to you.

Answer 4

Lysozyme won't wash off anywhere. It's just, say, an antibacterial enzyme that's present in saliva. There is saliva, there is lysozyme.
It's more of a pellicle. This is such a thin film of saliva glycoproteins that forms within 20-30 minutes after brushing your teeth (we “remove” it with a brush when brushing).
Dental plaque is, simply put, the accumulation of microorganisms on the surface of the tooth, including pathogenic ones.
So just the very same bacteria cannot attach to a “bare” tooth. They are attached precisely to the pellicle. That is, the formation of plaque will begin in half an hour after brushing your teeth.
That is why there is a theory that you need to brush your teeth before eating. Supposedly you “clean off” the pellicle and the MO has nowhere to attach.
However, the pellicle will still form over time (half an hour after cleaning), and during breakfast you will just get carbohydrates (sugars), which are a substrate for cariogenic microorganisms. These LMCs ferment carbohydrates to form acids. The pH of the medium decreases. Conditions are created for the demineralization of enamel - the initial stage of caries (it is very difficult there, you can write a separate answer). It turns out that if we eat breakfast and do not remove these carbohydrates by cleansing, they will remain in the oral cavity as food for bacteria. So it's best to brush your teeth after eating. If it is unpleasant for you to have breakfast without brushing your teeth, you can rinse your mouth.
And do not forget that brushing your teeth is not enough, it is important to do it right.

Conclusion

Healthy teeth mean good digestion, fresh breath, and a beautiful smile. Several factors affect their condition:

• heredity;
• supply system;
• drinking water quality;
• absence or presence of bad habits;
• oral hygiene.
  Brushing your teeth in this list takes an important place, and when else to do it, before breakfast or after - the choice of each is individual. The main thing is to do it regularly, carefully, correctly.