We have always been taught to spit out excess toothpaste and rinse our mouths after brushing our teeth. But is it really how we should go about our dental routine? Rinsing your mouth after brushing your teeth is not harmful. Nonetheless, not rinsing after brushing can be effective for oral health and teeth-related issues.
Is it Okay to Rinse After Brushing Your Teeth?
To address your query, it is totally up to you. Rinsing your mouth after brushing does not do any damage. Many people prefer to rinse their teeth after brushing, while others prefer to let the toothpaste stay for a while. When it comes to your oral hygiene, discussing it with your dentist is the best way to go.
Does Leaving Toothpaste on Teeth Make a Difference?
Your tooth needs certain minerals to remain healthy. Mostly, toothpaste contains fluoride, which is good for your teeth. Our diets and oral habits don’t get enough fluoride to our teeth, so using toothpaste with fluoride can help. It helps prevent our teeth from decaying by remineralizing the tooth enamel, making it strong and healthy.
When you use fluoride toothpaste for brushing your teeth, the fluoride takes time to work on them. Dentists recommend gently brushing every surface of your teeth, but most of us don’t stick with it. Thus, the fluoride does not get enough time to work its magic. Hence, many people brush, spit the excess foam out, and let the toothpaste stay on their teeth. This allows the fluoride to strengthen your teeth. Some people even go for leaving toothpaste on their teeth overnight! As your mouth produces less saliva during the night, leaving a fluoride film for some time might help fortify your tooth enamel.
To summarize: Not rinsing your mouth after brushing with fluoridated toothpaste is good for your teeth. People who regularly eat sugary snacks or have weakened teeth should definitely leave the toothpaste on their teeth after brushing. It will help in remineralizing their tooth enamel. Therefore, you can rinse after brushing your teeth. However, letting the toothpaste stay for a while can help strengthen your teeth.
Should You Avoid Rinsing After Brushing Teeth?
Rinsing after brushing is not harmful. This habit might be hard to break since we are taught to do so from childhood. Moreover, the foreign taste can activate your gag reflex, which might take some time to get used to. However, rinsing after brushing is not harmful to your teeth at all. It just dilutes the fluoride and washes it away before it can react. Leaving toothpaste on your teeth is good for their health, but not doing so does not pose any harm in itself.
What Should I Do?
We have listed the benefits of leaving toothpaste on your teeth. Rinsing toothpaste with water or even a mouthwash containing fluoride dilutes the concentrated mineral from the toothpaste. But rinsing it off is not that bad. Therefore, rinsing after brushing is your choice entirely. We suggest brushing your teeth gently for a couple of minutes, spitting, letting the toothpaste sit on your teeth, and rinsing after 10-30 minutes.
Before making any changes to your oral hygiene routine, consult your dentist. Our dental specialists at Gessner Smile Dentistry are also available to guide you. Just make a call at 713-858-8513.