This dentist is revealing the tooth about oral hygiene.
Dr. Alex Foo says it takes more than brushing and flossing twice per day to keep your teeth healthy.
To prevent dental destruction, the award-winning dentist says it is imperative to give your teeth a break after lunch. A two-hour food embargo after a midday meal can help strengthen teeth and prevent decay.
“Allowing your saliva to naturally clean and remineralize your teeth for at least two hours after a meal can greatly reduce the risk of cavities and enamel erosion,” Dr. Foo told the Express:
The dental explained that, after lunch, the pH of our saliva spikes, “which makes it more effective at protecting your teeth by helping to remineralize enamel.”
Dr. Foo says the food we consume at lunch affects the quality of our saliva for the rest of the day, and healthy choices create a happy mouth.
“A salad or other healthy options can promote better oral health,” the doc declared.
Dr. Foo’s advice is echoed by Whitney DiFoggio, a registered dental hygienist, who previously told The Post that those wanting to keep their pearly whites shiny should avoid fermentable carbohydrates at mealtimes— think: white bread, pasta, chips, cereal and crackers.
“The reason why fermentable carbohydrates are so bad for teeth is because they specifically break down into sugars while they’re still being chewed in your mouth,” she explained, calling them “sneaky sugars.”
She notes that those specific carbs make the mouth more acidic because the saliva works overtime to remove the gummy food from teeth, which “increases your chance of tooth decay.”
DiFoggio maintains that foods that “require heavier biting and chewing,” such as crunchy vegetables like carrots and celery, are generally better for your dental and overall health.
Meanwhile, Dr. Foo also recommends a chewing gum digestif, saying that “using a little xylitol after lunch can also help stimulate beneficial saliva production.”
Xylitol, a naturally occurring sweetener found in plants and commonly used in chewing gum, is seen as a more beneficial sugar-free option than gums sweetened with aspartame.
Foo’s lunchtime tip comes as UK dental surgeon Shaadi Manouchehri revealed her controversial morning breakfast and brushing routine. To maintain apex oral hygiene, she brushes her teeth before breakfast.
“If you’re doing this the other way around, you can damage your teeth and gums, and you’re more likely to get cavities because overnight, the bacteria in the mouth will multiply,” she explained. “If you eat straight away, that’s going to be really damaging, so you need to brush beforehand.”
Brushing before breakfast also shields teeth from harmful acids in food and drinks and provides fresh breath to start the day.
If you decide to brush after breakfast, wait 30 minutes to give your enamel time to re-mineralize and reharden after exposure to acidic foods. You can drink water to jumpstart this process.
