Should I rinse my mouth after brushing my teeth? Dentist discusses fluoride toothpaste and 5 cleaning concepts

Brushing teeth carefully every day does not necessarily mean that oral hygiene is done correctly. Liao Wanru, the Chief Deputy Secretary General of the Kaohsiung Dental Association, a lecturer in oral health, and a designated family dentist specialist by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, recently posted on Threads that various oral health education knowledge is often circulated online. Many ideas are correct in themselves, but if they are not based on the applicable conditions, they may lead to misunderstandings. She compiled 5 common concepts: brushing teeth without rinsing mouth, brushing teeth after breakfast, brushing twice a day, using mouthwash to prevent decay, and delaying brushing teeth after eating acidic foods. She reminded that one should not only listen to half of the health education information.

First, recently many people said that after brushing your teeth, just spit out foam and don't rinse your mouth. Liao Wanru said that this approach makes sense, but the prerequisite is to use toothpaste with a fluoride concentration of at least 1000ppm to achieve the anti moth effect. Adults don't need to pack a whole toothbrush every time they brush their teeth, about the size of a pea is enough. She also joked that if you use fluoride free toothpaste, but deliberately leave foam in your mouth, it is useless. "What do you want to prevent with your mouth full of foam? Do you want to prevent loneliness?"

Secondly, some people say that you don't need to brush your teeth in the morning, just brush them after breakfast. Liao Wanru said that brushing after breakfast is not impossible, but the prerequisite is to thoroughly brush the teeth the night before, and not just brush a few times to complete it.

Thirdly, some people say that brushing teeth twice a day is enough. She emphasized that the frequency of brushing teeth is not the only focus, the correct brushing method and interdental cleaning tools are also important. If the junction between teeth and gums is not cleaned thoroughly and the gaps between teeth are not clear, even if it is brushed five times a day, it will not achieve the desired effect.

Fourthly, some people say that using mouthwash every day can prevent decay. Liao Wanru reminds us to first check the ingredients of the mouthwash, whether it contains fluoride, and the concentration of fluoride. For most people, mouthwash is just an auxiliary and not a daily cleaning tool that must be used. She explained that dental plaque is a biofilm attached to the surface of teeth and must be physically cleaned using tools such as toothbrushes and dental floss. Relying solely on mouthwash cannot replace brushing teeth and cleaning gaps between teeth. She also described that using only mouthwash is like taking a bath to help with plaque.

Fifth, some people say that it takes 30 minutes to brush teeth after eating acidic foods. Liao Wanru said that after eating acidic foods, the acidity in the mouth will increase, and the surface of the teeth may temporarily be more prone to wear and tear, so it is not recommended to brush your teeth immediately. But this does not mean that acidic substances should remain in the mouth indefinitely. You can rinse your mouth with clean water first to help buffer saliva, and then brush your teeth after a while, which is more appropriate.

Liao Wanru emphasized that the most common problem in medical and health education is that although one sentence is correct, it omits the applicable objects, concentrations, doses, and usage conditions, leading to deviations in actual operation. She reminded that the most important thing in oral health is to do a good job of basic physical cleaning, and other details can only add points. She also reiterated her call for the promotion of health education knowledge to be comprehensive, in order to prevent the public from falling into the misconception of oral health care with only a partial understanding.