Wetting before softens toothbrush bristles and rinses off debris. Wetting after ensures the toothpaste melts into your toothbrush so it doesn't roll off. Not wetting your toothbrush means there aren't extra steps between applying toothpaste and brushing.
One expert, professor Damien Walmsley of the British Dental Association, said, “A dry brush will increase friction with the bristles while a wet toothbrush adds moisture and for most people, makes the experience more pleasant.
Are You Supposed to Wet Toothpaste? Wetting your toothbrush before brushing is generally a matter of personal preference. There's some debate about wetting toothpaste before brushing and its effects on efficacy, but the ADA doesn't provide official guidance.
Proper Brushing Technique
Hold the bristles gently against the outside of your top teeth, near the gum line, at about a 45-degree angle upward. Sweep the brush gently back and forth over teeth and gums in soft strokes — or, if you prefer, use an elliptical (circular) motion to clean the teeth.
The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends the 2/2 rule: brush for 2 minutes in the morning and 2 minutes at night with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.
The brushing method recommended to general persons in Korea is the 3-3-3 brushing method campaign, which involves only toothbrushing behavior (the time and frequency); 3-3-3 means brushing one's teeth 3 times per day, within 3 minutes after having a meal, for at least 3 minutes each time.
Dr. Nigel Carter feels that the most effective application is to not use water at all and use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. As per Dr. Carter, the water weakens the bristles and makes them less effective in cleaning teeth.
On almost any surface, a thin layer of bacteria known as biofilm can stick. That's why your gums and teeth feel like they've been covered in slime when you wake up in the morning. Biofilm is normal and happens to everyone—even if you brush, floss and rinse with an antiseptic mouthwash.
How Long Should You Wait to Rinse After Brushing? If you want to be on the safe side, then you should wait at least twenty minutes before rinsing your mouth after brushing. This gives the fluoride more time to work, which means you have a better chance at cleaning them and preventing tooth decay.
Don't rinse with water straight after toothbrushing
After brushing, spit out any excess toothpaste. Don't rinse your mouth immediately after brushing, as it'll wash away the concentrated fluoride in the remaining toothpaste. Rinsing dilutes it and reduces its preventative effects.
You can spit the toothpaste out, but the moment water enters the mix – it cuts down the efficiency of the fluoride from your toothpaste.
Dry exfoliating is considered to have more benefits because the removal of dirt and dead cells is more efficient when the skin is dry. Water pumps up the skin, which makes wet brushing a bit less effective.
Leaving the toothpaste on your teeth overnight will allow the enamel to be fed fluoride from the paste. This fluoride will prevent the breakdown of enamel and allow the rebuilding of demineralized enamel.
Leaving residual toothpaste in your mouth can reduce tooth decay. Rinsing with mouthwash immediately after brushing may not be the best for your teeth, even if your mouthwash contains fluoride.
“I recommend not rinsing, particularly for the nighttime,” she says, because that way, “You leave a nice film of fluoride on your teeth overnight.” She suggests waiting 30 minutes after brushing before eating or drinking.
Tartar Buildup
The tartar itself is porous and is highly susceptible to discoloration and staining. Foods, beverages, and other factors can turn it a noticeable brown color as a result. The buildup of tartar on and between teeth is often the result of a lack of brushing and flossing on a regular basis.
Most of the time this occurrence is related to a chemical or food sensitivity. If this happens to you, try changing your toothpaste, mouthwash or any other substance you use regularly in your mouth. Some anti-tartar and whitening agents in oral health care products may cause skin sloughing in some people.
A white tongue is usually caused by a white coating over the tongue. The coating can be due to a buildup of dead cells on the surface of the tongue, food residue, or an overgrowth of bacteria. It can also be from dried and caked saliva, damaged tongue tissues, or a combination of all of these things.
Bacteria thrive in moist environments and a toothbrush cover provides just that. While it may keep other things out, it also locks everything else in. Your brush needs to thoroughly dry between uses so that new bacteria do not grow and multiply on the surface of it.
And while a toothbrush cover may help protect your toothbrush from outside germs, it traps in moisture, leading to bacteria growth and not the good kind, according to the ADA. So — remove and throw away those covers.
The bathroom is one of the most germ-infested rooms in any house, but leaving a toothbrush in a damp shower makes your brush (and mouth) a target for unwanted microbes. Given enough of the wrong types of bacteria, an extra germy toothbrush could even lead to diarrhea or skin infection.
In most cases, it's best to brush your teeth before breakfast. This ensures that your enamel is protected and that you don't run out of time before leaving the house for work or school. Sugar-free gum is a great way to clean your teeth and achieve fresh breath after breakfast while also supporting a healthy smile.
You should refrain from brushing more than three times a day, because brushing too often will wear down the enamel of your teeth. You must brush at least twice, but not more than three times a day.
We recommend that most patients brush their teeth for about 3 minutes at a time. This is usually enough time to remove all of the remove plaque and keep the teeth and gums healthy.
"Rubbing toothpaste onto your teeth increases the fluoride protection by 400%," say experts. Do you really want to avoid cavities in your teeth? Try massaging them with a high-fluoride toothpaste after lunch.