How Long Should You Wait to Brush After Eating Sugar?

Posted on 3/15/2019 by Barbara Ketchum

You've eaten a slice of double chocolate birthday cake with a topper of vanilla ice cream for your birthday. Happiest of birthdays to you! Now that the celebration is over, you are wondering when you should brush and floss your teeth to get rid of as much sugar as possible? We have the answers you are looking for.

Why Worry About Sugar?

There's a reason you have to worry about sugar when it comes to your teeth. While sugar does not directly damage your teeth, it encourages the growth of bacteria that causes acids to collect on your teeth. The acids work to make holes in your tooth enamel, which causes tooth decay and sometimes loss of teeth.

This acid buildup needs to be taken care of as quickly as possible, so that your teeth don't bathe in sugar for a long period of time. You can make sure to keep your teeth healthy by brushing and flossing twice a day. Visits to us can't hurt either - twice a year of course. By keeping your teeth brushed, flossed and checked, you can minimize the damage sugar can cause.

So When Should I Brush my Teeth?

Most people think that you should brush your teeth immediately after you eat sugar, so that you can clean any sugar off your teeth that you did not swallow. However, it is actually better to wait for 30 to 60 minutes after you eat dessert before you brush those pearly whites.

We know that sounds crazy, but if you wait for a while to brush your teeth, you will get more of the sugar than if you brush right away. This is because it may take a few minutes for the sugar particles to land on your teeth, so if you brush right away, you may miss some sugar that hasn't made it to your teeth yet.

If your teeth need a cleaning, or you want to have a checkup of your teeth to make sure they are at their whitest, give us a call. We can make sure your teeth are at their best.

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Dentist Salem OR • About Oak Park Dental
Providing modern dental technology and advanced oral health care to give you a comfortable and stress-free dental experience in Salem and Keizer, OR. Call today!
Oak Park Dental, 3380 Astoria Way NE, Salem, OR 97305; (971) 600-0211; salemsmiles.com; 9/20/2023; Related Phrases: dentist Salem OR;