For your good and that of the community, it is strongly recommended, not to say obligatory, to brush your teeth every day, at least twice.
And in this regard, some people do the first brushing of the day even before breakfast, when others start after having had a meal.
To discover
Watch the Business Masterclass “Investing can be learned” in replay
The first team performs the gesture when getting out of bed to clean what is hidden in our mouths when we wake up.
And for good reason, thousands of bacteria are there.
"At night, we salivate less, so our mouth dries out, which promotes an environment conducive to the proliferation of bacteria," says Nathalie Delphin, dental surgeon.
Read alsoSix hygiene rules to apply with your toothbrush
In video, the diet to follow to have a healthy brain
The most ideal timing
Only in reality, if the intention is good, the gesture would be useless, according to Élodie Terrer, researcher in microbiology and dental surgeon.
"It only removes a tiny part of the bacterial load and you will have to start again automatically if you eat," she says.
Indeed, bacteria can become pathogenic in contact with food;
especially in contact with the carbohydrates contained in our bread, our pressed fruit juices and our refined cereals.
“Bacteria turn sugars into acids, and an acidic environment damages enamel, the protective barrier of teeth.
If the enamel is weakened, the toxins enter more easily inside the tooth and this promotes the appearance of cavities”, explains Dr Élodie Terrer.
Bacteria turn sugars into acids, and an acidic environment damages the enamel, our protective barrier of the teeth
Élodie Terrer, researcher in microbiology and dental surgeon
In addition, brushing your teeth before breakfast would send the wrong message to our digestive system.
“Mechanical brushing stimulates salivary production and initiates the digestion process, which will disturb our taste buds and significantly modify our taste”, informs Dr Nathalie Delphin, also president of the Syndicat des Femmes Chirurgiens-Dentistes.
Not very judicious, therefore, to enjoy breakfast afterwards.
Read alsoThe worst foods and drinks for teeth
Reminder of good gestures
In general, good oral hygiene requires good reflexes when brushing.
After breakfast, Nathalie Delphin recommends waiting a bit before pulling out your toothbrush.
“During chewing, our saliva produces an acid attack in order to break down food to better digest it.
However, if you come to brush your teeth when this very aggressive process is underway, you risk further weakening your enamel, to the point of causing lesions at the oral level, ”she informs.
So, it is better to wait 10 minutes before brushing your teeth, advises the dental surgeon.
For optimal washing, specialists recommend using a soft brush, manual or electric, with fluoride toothpaste to remineralize the enamel.
The entire oral cavity is then brushed (including the gums) and the procedure is completed by using dental floss or an interdental brush to remove both food debris and dental plaque.
To be renewed preferably after each meal, or even each snack.
For convenience only, you can also end with a brief and gentle cleaning of the tongue using a tongue scraper.
Mouthwashes, on the other hand, are to be avoided, remind health professionals.
These are prescribed only by the dental surgeon in the event of pathologies such as gingivitis or periodontal disease.
