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Brushing at the "wrong" time may escalate teeth-corrosion

28 Jun 2012

Many people brush more than the recommended number of times per day - especially after a rich meal. But dentists warn that the extra brushing could be doing more harm than good, and brushing within half an hour of eating a meal or drinking a soft drink could ensure your teeth suffer worse damage, according to Independent Online.

Brushing at the "wrong" time - particularly within 20 minutes of drinking a fizzy or acidic drink, or finishing a meal - can drive acid deep into your teeth, corroding them far faster than they would have rotted by themselves because when you drink, the acid burns into the enamel of your teeth - and the layer below the enamel, called "dentin".

"With brushing, you could actually push the acid deeper into the enamel and the dentin," says Dr Howard R Gamble, president of the American Academy of General Dentistry, in an interview with the New York Times. Researchers found that brushing in the 20 minutes after a soft drink or meal damaged teeth noticeably, Independent Online reports.

Read the full article on www.iol.co.za.