Should you brush your teeth before or after using mouthwash?
Brushing our teeth is one of those routine things we do without thinking much about it. However some people wonder though if they should brush their teeth first or use mouthwash first.
According to the American Dental Association, it doesn't matter whether you use mouthwash before or after brushing. Both are equally effective. The sequence in which you brush, floss and rinse makes no difference as long as you do a thorough job and use quality products.
The National Health Service says something a little different. It says if you use a fluoride rinse, you can use the mouthwash right after brushing your teeth. However, you don't want to use non-fluoride mouthwash right after brushing. If you brush your teeth with a floride toothpaste, don't use a mouth rinse afterward because it will wash away the concentrated fluoride in the toothpaste left on your teeth.
The last step many of us take in our tooth brushing routine is to rinse out our mouths with a little water. That's actually a bad idea. You're just washing off the film from the toothpaste. Most dentists suggest not rinsing your mouth with water right after you have finished using your mouthwash. Mouthwash continues to work after you spit it out, so by rinsing with water you dilute the cleaning and strengthening benefits.
Oral health information can be found by visiting www.examiner.com.
Dental Associates of Lancaster 115 West Fair Avenue (map) (located next to Fairgrounds) Lancaster, OH 43130 P: 740-654-3660
