Why do so many oral health professionals insist on the importance of night brushing, the one before going to bed?
As we already know, brushing teeth is the fundamental act for our oral hygiene, without forgetting other actions such as flossing or rinsing. We must do it 2-3 times a day, coinciding with the time after meals, with a duration that should not be less than two minutes in each of them. But it is especially important at night, since it will eliminate the remains of food and drinks that can cause damage to our teeth during the hours of sleep.
These are the main reasons why we should not skip that moment:
- The bacteria are most active at night. It is during this period when the bacteria have more time to act and, by extension, to form the so-called bacterial plaque. Taking an average of 7 hours of sleep, it is possible to spend about 10 hours between brushing and brushing, those corresponding to after dinner and which should be performed after breakfast. That is why it is important to be frequent and constant with this practice of oral hygiene.
- Lower PH level. When we sleep it is normal that the PH present in the mouth decreases, being a fundamental element for the neutralization of acids that are produced by the fermentation of food, which can be cause for the appearance of oral pathologies, of which the gums are inflamed or at the time of damaging the enamel.
- The generation of saliva also falls. The organism’s own biological rhythm produces less saliva when we are sleeping, which conditions the aforementioned PH, which acts as an element of regulation and contributes to the demineralization of the teeth naturally.
For the brushing to be really effective we must ensure that the brush is in good condition, with the bristles neither too hard nor excessively soft; Use fluoridated paste and complete the process with flossing and mouthwash.