Never Brush Your Teeth Immediately After a Meal

Never Brush Your Teeth Immediately After a Meal:

• Brushing your teeth too soon after meals can seriously damage them, dentists warn
• Brushing within 20 minutes can corrode teeth
• Drives corrosive acids 'deep into teeth, dentists warn
• Waiting an hour can protect teeth

    # Many people brush more than the recommended number of times per day - especially after a rich meal.

Dr Peter Alldritt, chairman of the Australian Dental Association's oral health committee says:

Fruits, particularly orange or lemon juice, vinegar, sport drinks and soft drinks, all have a very high level of acidity in them and what they do is soften the enamel.

If you then go and brush your teeth straight away you're going to damage the softened enamel.

Waiting to brush for at least 30 minutes gives your mouth time to produce enough saliva to neutralize the acidity.This saliva helps your teeth to harden and absorb more calcium, which then acts like a coat of armour. Saliva contains calcium and phosphate ions and teeth also contain these ions, so saliva acts as a reservoir of calcium and phosphate for your teeth.Saliva also contains enzymes and buffers which neutralize acid and return the pH of your mouth to neutral over time.