Preventive dental care is the best care for your mouth, hands down. By practicing preventive dental care, you can prevent expensive dental treatments and dental work. One of the simplest ways that you can practice preventive dentistry outside of seeing your dentist regularly for a cleaning and check up is to brush your teeth after you eat. This may seem like a simple habit, and while it may be a simple habit, it is also a highly effective one.
Brushing your teeth does more than just freshen your breath. Every time you eat foods and drink beverages other than water, you are exposing your mouth to harmful bacteria. Have you ever run your tongue over your teeth and felt a fuzzy film covering them? That “film” is actually millions of tiny bacteria that are attacking your teeth and gums. After you eat, foods are broken down into sugar. When these sugars are left in the mouth, they cling to your teeth and attack your gums and teeth enamel. Bacteria thrive in the mouth because of its warm, moist environment. When you do not brush your teeth after you eat meals, you are allowing bacteria to multiply at an alarming rate and cause damage to your teeth. If you simply brush your teeth first thing in the morning and right before you go to bed, you are allowing bacteria to grow in your mouth and attack your teeth for twelve or more continuous hours.
At Hello Family Dental, we understand that prevention is the best method of promoting optimal oral hygiene. By making it a habit to brush your teeth after you eat, you are helping to ensure that the health of your entire mouth is well taken care of. Flossing, brushing, and eating a healthy and well-balanced diet are all key elements to optimal oral health. By simply making it a habit to brush after you eat, you are taking one further step to keeping your permanent teeth permanently.
