Posted by You consume a variety of food items every day and brush your teeth in the morning, and it is a practice most people follow. As per the research and studies, in the United Kingdom, around 87% of people brush their teeth in the morning, while in the United States, approximately 69% of Americans brush twice a day, with 60% brushing at bedtime and in the morning.
However, in India, a major percentage of the population brushes before breakfast, but only 45% brush twice daily. It means more than 55% people brush only in the morning. But as per the medical experts, brushing your teeth only in the morning is not good enough for the health of your teeth.
Brush Teeth in the Morning or at Night
The question arises here: should you brush your teeth in the morning or at night? As per the research and studies in dentistry, people who brush their teeth only in the morning face more dental problems compared to people who also brush at night before going to bed.
However, it is not for the people who only brush at night, but the people who brush twice – in the morning after waking up and before going to sleep at night. In fact, brushing your teeth at night before sleep is more important than in the morning. Let’s find out why and how.
Why is Brushing Teeth at Night Important?
When you eat food throughout the day, the food also leaves certain particles and debris in your mouth that attract bacteria. And the auto-generated saliva in our mouth acts as a natural defence with its anti-bacterial properties that neutralise the acid level in your mouth that washes away food.
But during sleep, the saliva production decreases at night, which allows plaque to generate bacteria, multiplying overnight and damaging your teeth and gums. On the other hand, if you do not brush your teeth before sleeping, it will remove plaque, food particles, and bacteria that build up during the day, which reduces the risk of cavities, gum disease, and bad breath.
Six Benefits of Brushing Teeth at Night:
- Prevents Plaque and Tartar
Brushing the teeth at night before going to bed removes the sticky bacterial film, as well as plaque that builds up throughout the day. And if this plaque is left for overnight, it becomes hardened and transformed into tartar that can lead to inflammation in the gums and promote dental problems.
- Reduction of Cavities
Our mouth keeps generating acid, but saliva keeps neutralising the acid with the presence of calcium. But during the nighttime, the saliva production is low, resulting in the acid level increasing, allowing bacteria to cause cavities in your teeth. But when you brush your teeth at night, it maintains the saliva level in your mouth due to the fluoride present in your toothpaste that reduces the risk of cavities by as much as 50%.
- Strengthening Tooth Enamel
When you brush your teeth at night, the fluoride from your toothpaste protects your enamel for an extended period without being washed away by food or drink, providing maximum protection against acid attacks. And damage to the enamel in your teeth can cause serious dental problems that can be cured with critical and expensive dental procedures like root canal treatment.
- Keeps Your Breath Fresh
Obviously, when you brush your teeth at night, it not only cleans them but also removes food particles and bacteria from your mouth, but also refreshes your mouth with mint and other flavours used in the toothpaste to keep your breath smelling good. And with a fresh breath, sleeping with your life partner or in bed, sharing with your partner would be a pleasing experience for both of you.
- Better Oral & Sleep Hygiene
Brushing your teeth regularly, twice, especially at night before going to bed, maintains your oral hygiene with odourless and germ-free breath. And at night, with a fresh breath and oral hygiene, your sleep hygiene also gets maintained, improving your sleep quality.
- Improved your Overall Health
Brushing your teeth at night or twice keeps your gums and teeth healthy and strong. Means there are very few chances of facing dental problems, and you can eat everything easily without facing any problems. These long-lasting healthy diets, thanks to your healthy teeth, also get sufficient nutrition and necessary minerals through consuming a wide variety of foods.
Can You Eat After Brushing Teeth At Night?
No, you should not eat after brushing your teeth at night; however, you can drink water. In fact, when you brush your teeth at night, your mouth and teeth get completely cleaned, and there are no leftover food particles remaining in your mouth that attract bacteria and damage your teeth overnight.
At night, you should always brush your teeth just before going to sleep and should finish all your eating and drinking (except water) activities before brushing. However, if you sleep late at night, you can either brush your teeth on time but don’t eat anything, or you can brush just before going to sleep.
When you are awake, you keep engulfing the salvia in your mouth, which also sends the bad bacteria in your stomach that are destroyed by the gastric juice or stomach acid that contains the hydrochloric acid and enzymes like pepsin, which help you to digest the food. And when you fall asleep, this saliva activity stops, and bacteria get the chance and enough time to damage your teeth.
Summing-up
No doubt brushing your teeth at night is more important than in the morning. Food particles in our mouth and an increase in acid levels attract bacteria that get enough time to damage the teeth overnight. At night, your mouth remains ideal due to falling asleep, and when you brush your teeth, food particles or leftovers get completely removed, and fluoride in your toothpaste prevents such bacteria.
Brushing your teeth at night not only prevents your teeth from bad bacteria, but it also keeps your mouth refreshed at bedtime and increases your overall health. As with healthy teeth, you can consume a healthy diet without a chewing problem and enjoy a healthy life. However, to keep your teeth healthy, you should always visit your nearest best dentist in Greater Noida for regular checkups, teeth whitening and get the treatment if there is any dental problem.