There is a popular belief that it is best to brush one’s teeth after every meal. The idea is to get rid of any leftover food as quickly as possible to avoid tooth decay.
The human mouth has two means of defence – tooth enamel and saliva. Saliva is responsible for breaking down starches and also has antibacterial substances.
The body’s natural ability to break down foods produces an acidic environment in the mouth that temporarily softens the enamel on one’s teeth.
So if people brush their teeth too soon, they end up scrubbing away tooth enamel in the process. Ideally, wait 30 to 60 minutes before grabbing that toothbrush.
Can soda drinks actually dissolve our teeth?
The rise of this myth began in the 1950s with the aim of alerting people to the cavity-causing dangers of drinks such as colas. Their supposed dissolving powers can be traced to the presence of three acids in its formula – phosphoric, citric and carbonic acid.
What really happens is that when one drinks a soda beverage, the pH of the saliva in the mouth is temporarily lowered and the tooth enamel is softened. This is a golden opportunity for sugar to cause tooth decay. However, this effect is not limited to soda drinks but also energy drinks and other high-sugar drinks. In any case, no one keeps soda in their mouth overnight.
Attempts to recreate this experiment have actually shown that leaving one’s tooth in a glass of soda will not completely dissolve it overnight, or even in a couple of days. However, keep in mind that tooth decay does occur over time due to the high sugar content of foods.
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