If you rinse after you brush your teeth, do you really get all of the benefits that your toothpaste can provide? Many people are used to rinsing their teeth with water right after they brush their teeth, but here is why you should think twice before doing that.
How to Choose a Toothpaste for Your Teeth
Choosing the best toothpaste for you is a personal choice. If you don’t know what your specific dental needs are, speaking to your dentist or hygienist is an easy way to learn what your smile could benefit from. Toothpaste comes in many forms – from a gel, power, to paste, however, not all toothpastes are created equal. Once you’ve spoken with your dentist, Everyday Health explains the first thing you should do is make sure the toothpaste you’re choosing is safe and will do what it claims to do.
Fluoride toothpastes are regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since they make disease-fighting claims. Due to this, these products will display a ‘drug facts’ panel on the packaging and list the ingredients and other relevant information. However, toothpastes without fluoride are considered cosmetic products and are not regulated by the FDA. To be safe when shopping for toothpaste, look for the American Dental Association’s (ADA) seal of approval.
The ADA’s seal of approval is a symbol that indicates the toothpaste manufacturer has participated in a voluntary testing program conducted by the ADA to determine a product’s safety and effectiveness. For example, any toothpaste that has sugar as an ingredient will not get the ADA seal of approval.
Should You Use Fluoride?
One of the best things you can do for your dental health is using fluoride. Fluoride is not just beneficial to those younger in age — adults can benefit from fluoride, too. Everyday Health continues explaining that the fluoride in toothpaste can heal and remineralize microscopic cavities as they form, hardening the tooth surface, and making it more resistant to the acid attack of bacteria.
Fluoride is safe for children and adults, however, it’s important to make sure you supervise children using a fluoride toothpaste. If too much is swallowed, it can cause issues, however, children often can’t swallow enough fluoride from brushing alone to cause any serious problems. While this may be, it is still important to monitor your child and make sure those under 5 years old only brush with a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.
How to Brush Your Teeth
We often learn to brush our teeth from a young age, but everyone could use a refresher after a while. To properly brush your teeth, you should slightly angle the brush towards the gums and move in small, circular motions. You should be brushing the entire surface of each tooth gently, stopping right near the gumline to prevent injury to the gum tissue.
Should You Rinse after You Brush Your Teeth?
This is the part many people do wrong. You’ve brushed your teeth, but then rinse after brushing. If you want to truly benefit from your toothpaste, you should not rinse your mouth with water immediately after brushing. Rather, you should spit out any excess toothpaste and wait to eat or drink for 30 minutes afterwards. If you rinse your mouth immediately after brushing, you will wash away the concentrated fluoride in the remaining toothpaste, diluting it and reducing it’s benefits.
When to See Your Dentist
A good rule of thumb is to see your dentist for regular checkups and cleanings every six months, or sooner depending on the condition of your oral health. If you begin to experience signs of tooth sensitivity, pain, bleeding, or other issues within your mouth, you should make an appointment to see your dentist as soon as possible.
At Stonebrook Family Dental, Dr. Kevin Varley offers a number of dental services that help you improve and maintain a healthy smile that will last you a lifetime. We offer services such as:
- Routine cleanings and exams. These are important as they act as a ‘reset’ button for your mouth. In these exams, we can also catch early signs of any issues before they turn into larger, painful problems.
- Digital and panoramic X-rays
- Fillings
- Kid-focused Dental Treatment
- Fillings, crowns, and bridges
- Custom-fit mouthguards and nightguards
- Root canal therapy
- Dental implant placement and restorations
- Tooth extractions
- Wisdom teeth removal and bone grafts
- Gum disease treatment
- Sedation dentistry, which can help those with dental fears receive the dental treatment they need in a calm, effective way.
Make an Appointment with Stonebrook Family Dental
Whether you’re due for a cleaning or are having current dental health problems, we’re here for you no matter where you’re at in your dental health journey. Make an appointment with us today: (303)-872-7907. If you’re new to our practice, check out our new patient offers!
