Although it can give a fresh feeling to rinse your teeth with water after brushing, according to dentists it seems better not to brush your teeth after brushing. As tempting as glass of water after brushing, you better leave it alone. Can you also brush your teeth with water? And do you have to wet your brush beforehand? In this blog everything about brushing your teeth with or without water.
Brush your teeth without water
In a study by The Telegraph, it was described that you’d better quit that refreshing glass of water after brushing your teeth. Or rinse your mouth with water. In fact, it is better to brush your teeth without water. It is better for your enamel and gums not to rinse extra with water.
Drink water after brushing teeth
There are a number of dentists who have provided tips on how best to brush your teeth. An important tip is not to rinse with water after brushing. Why actually?
Dr Mike Heffernan and Dr Toby Edwards-Lunn explain that acids can affect your enamel.
Another Dutch dentist, dr. Richard Kohsiek:
“Usually this is not because of something acidic we eat, but because bacteria in the mouth convert the sugars from our food into acids. Sugar is in almost all foods.”
In toothpastes there are protective substances for your tooth enamel. Such as fluoride or other protective substances. This does take a while to absorb into your tooth enamel. Therefore it is better not to drink water after brushing.
“It doesn’t hurt to drink water after brushing, right?” you might think, nothing could be further from the truth.
Do you need to rinse after brushing?
It is better not to rinse after brushing, because you then rinse off the protective layer of the toothpaste. It is best to let the toothpaste work for at least an hour. This way, your tooth enamel is protected as much as possible.
Dr. Kohsiek continues:
“If you immediately rinse powerfully with plenty of water after brushing your teeth, you immediately flush away a large part of the fluoride. Fluoride sticks loosely to the teeth and molars. The result of rinsing with a lot of water is that there is a lot can absorb less fluoride into your enamel and therefore fluoride protects the teeth less well.”
Brush teeth with water
Can’t you use water at all when brushing your teeth? Dentist Dr. Kohsiek advises that you should spit out the foam of the toothpaste and take a very small sip of water to rinse. So it is best to wet your toothbrush in advance and then brush your teeth. Then it is best to spit out the toothpaste and rinse with a very small sip of water.
Clean teeth with water jet
Finally, you can also clean teeth with a water jet; you take an oral irrigator. This new way of brushing is revolutionary and is equipped with the latest technology. This water floss, (water floss), cleans impurities from the surface and between your teeth. So you can first take a refreshing mouth shower and then “just” brush your teeth. This prevents sensitive teeth.
Refreshing white teeth
It is not harmful to your teeth to rinse your mouth with a very small amount of water after cleaning your teeth. On the other hand, it is not necessary – even a bit of a shame – to rinse with a large amount of water. What is really nice: “pre-rinse” with a waterfloss and then brush your teeth. To get extra white, clean teeth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dentists recommend rinsing your mouth with a small amount of water. This way the protective layer of the toothpaste stays on your tooth enamel.
Dentists and experts recommend spitting out the toothpaste after brushing your teeth and taking a very small amount of water for rinsing. So you can easily brush your teeth without a large amount of water.
You can use a so-called water floss (also known as an oral irrigator) to clean your teeth before you brush. Note: this is a way of flossing, not brushing. So it is not a substitute for brushing teeth.
If you get very sensitive teeth from cold water, you may have inflamed gums or a hole in your enamel. Consult the dentist if you experience pain.
