Is Rinsing After Brushing a Good Idea?

When it comes to cleaning your smile, proper brushing is key. This allows you to remove bacteria, plaque, and food particles that have accumulated throughout the day so you’re less likely to develop oral health issues like cavities and gum disease. After brushing, many people rinse their mouths out to get rid of excess toothpaste. But is this the right option for your smile? Read on to learn more about rinsing after brushing and how it impacts your pearly whites.

How Fluoride Affects Your Teeth

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that’s released into the water, soil, and air by rocks. It has been found to help defend teeth against tooth decay and is often added in small amounts to public drinking water sources. Fluoride can also be found in dental hygiene products like mouthwash and toothpaste. it should be applied directly to your pearly whites and left there for several minutes to be most effective.

Rinsing After Brushing: Do or Don’t?

Though fluoride offers many benefits to your oral health, the leftover toothpaste after you finish brushing should be spit out instead of swallowed. This is because some dental hygiene products contain levels of fluoride levels that are higher than the recommended daily amount.

In addition, rinsing after brushing may cancel out many of the benefits of fluoride since it’s more effective when left on your teeth. You should just spit instead of rinsing after brushing and go about your day. Wait at least 10 minutes after brushing before you eat or drink anything to let the fluoride work its magic!

Potential Risks of Not Rinsing After Brushing Your Teeth

In general, not rinsing after brushing your teeth is completely safe. Even so, there are a few potential risks of ingesting too much fluoride. Though incredibly rare when brushing with a pea-sized amount of toothpaste, some potential side effects include:

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

Rinsing after brushing may not seem like a big deal, but it’s better to just spit out the leftover toothpaste. This will let the fluoride in it remain on your teeth and protect your smile against decay to keep it looking lovely!

About the Practice

At Real Dental, their four talented dentists treat patients in the Grand Prairie with the quality care they need to maintain healthy, beautiful smiles. If you struggle with proper brushing, they can teach you the best way to remove plaque from your smile and what products will be the most effective. With their help, you can keep your smile on the right track and looking its best for years to come! Are you interested in scheduling an appointment with Real Dental or do you want more information on their services? Visit their website or call (817) 406-7239 to get started.