3 times you shouldn't brush your teeth, according to dental experts

Brushing your teeth is bully for you, right? Well, not each nan time. According to experts, location are a fewer instances wherever you want to debar brushing your teeth successful bid to protect nan enamel.

TikTok user @drshaadimanouchehri, a London-based dentist, raised eyebrows for posting astir this successful December, garnering complete 12 cardinal views connected her video that advised group not to brushwood aft meal aliases eating sweets, aliases moreover aft vomiting. Experts CBS News said pinch echoed her recommendations. 

"If possible, you should debar brushing instantly aft meals successful wide — not conscionable breakfast," says Dr. Jossen Gastelum, an Arizona-based wide dentist known arsenic @doctorjossen connected societal media. 

Why? Eating aliases drinking — aliases vomiting — tin alteration nan pH aliases acidity level of your rima to a vulnerable authorities astatine which enamel starts to deteriorate, he explains. 

"Our saliva has earthy buffering abilities to thief withstand these acerb attacks, but it usually takes astir 30 minutes to do so," Gastelum adds. "Brushing earlier past has nan imaginable to brushwood acids into your teeth only further accelerating nan deterioration and harm of nan enamel."

Registered dental hygienist Whitney DiFoggio besides suggests avoiding brushing aft consuming immoderate highly acidic foods aliases drinks, including items specified arsenic citrus fruits, soda and wine. 

How damaging is it?

If you've already brushed aft immoderate of these activities, you'll beryllium OK — conscionable don't make it a regular habit, Gastelum says.

"A one-time offense, honestly, astir apt won't do superior semipermanent damage," he says. But he warns: "The cumulative effect of these acerb attacks mixed pinch brushing instantly aft is simply a look for disaster. The worst portion is that erstwhile nan enamel is bladed aliases gone, nan 2nd furniture of nan tooth, nan dentin, is moreover much delicate and will quickly deteriorate astatine an moreover faster state."

While nan thought of not brushing instantly aft vomiting whitethorn beryllium unappealing, DiFoggio suggests that for those who whitethorn woody pinch it much regularly owed to greeting sickness aliases acerb reflux, for example, "it's amended to adopt safer practices moving guardant to protect your enamel."

What tin you do alternatively of brushing?

Here are a fewer expert-approved alternatives to try:

Wait 30 to 60 minutes: "For each these situations, it's mostly recommended to hold astir 30 to 60 minutes earlier brushing your teeth," DiFoggio says. "This waiting play allows your saliva to thief neutralize nan acids and statesman nan process of enamel remineralization."

Wash pinch water: "To thief further protect from these acerb attacks connected your enamel, you tin swish pinch normal pat h2o instantly aft these activities," Gastelum says, though he adds it "does not usually do overmuch for nan bad activity aliases sensation associated pinch these activities — which is why group consciousness nan impulse to brushwood instantly aft successful nan first place."

Rinse pinch moutwash: "Swishing pinch a non-acidic, alcohol-free mouthwash is different action that tin thief without drying retired nan rima aliases exacerbating acerb exposure," DiFoggio suggests. "For aft vomiting, rinsing pinch a substance of h2o and baking soda tin thief neutralize nan acidic levels successful nan mouth, arsenic well."

For aft meals, Gastelum recommends an alkaline/pH-neutral rinse.

"It really helps to efficaciously buffer retired nan acids while still freshening your activity arsenic well," he says.