Rinsing After Brushing: Do or Don’t?

When it comes to keeping your smile healthy, everyone knows that brushing twice per day is key. This will allow you to remove bacteria, plaque, and food particles that build up throughout the day. After brushing many people rinse out their mouths to get rid of excess toothpaste. But is this good for your smile? Read on to learn how rinsing after brushing impacts your smile.

How Fluoride Affects Your Teeth

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that’s released by rocks and goes into the soil, water, and air. Fluoride has been proven to help lessen the risk of tooth decay. For this reason, it’s added in small amounts to many public drinking water sources. Fluoride is also a common ingredient in dental hygiene products like mouthwash and toothpaste. Fluoride should be applied directly to the teeth to be most effective.

Rinsing After Brushing: to Skip or Not to Skip?

Since fluoride works best when it’s applied directly to your pearly whites, leaving it on your teeth for several minutes can help them defend against cavities. Rinsing after brushing may counteract many of the benefits it offers your smile.

With this being said, it’s important not to swallow the toothpaste that’s left over after you finish brushing. Some dental hygiene products contain levels of fluoride that are higher than the recommended daily amount, doing so can be harmful. Spit out excess toothpaste rather than rinsing after brushing, and don’t eat or drink anything for the next 10 minutes.

Potential Risks of Not Rinsing After Brushing Your Teeth

Now that you know why rinsing after brushing isn’t the best option for your smile, what are some of the negative ways it can impact your smile? As previously mentioned, ingesting too much fluoride can be dangerous for your health. Some of the issues it can cause include:

• Diabetes
• Diarrhea
• Fluorosis
• Cognitive deficits             
• Risk of fractures and bone weakness
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Early puberty in girls
• Cardiac insufficiency or failure
• Immune system problems
• Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD)

Rinsing after brushing your teeth may be your first instinct, but spitting out leftover toothpaste instead is the better option. This will let the fluoride remain on your teeth so your smile can fully benefit from it and keep your grin healthy and happy!

About the Practice

Pace Dental of Vienna offers their Virgina patients a range of oral health services, including preventative, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry. They administer checkups and cleanings to ensure that your smile remains in good condition and free of issues. They can also teach you about why not rinsing after brushing is better for your smile and other helpful tips to care for your pearly whites. Ready to schedule an appointment or want more information on their services? If so, call Pace Dental of Vienna at (703) 938-6800 or visit their website to get started.