Many people wonder if it is okay to drink water right after brushing their teeth. There are a few things to consider when deciding whether or not to rinse with water after brushing.
Quick Answers
Here are some quick answers to common questions about drinking water after brushing teeth:
- It is generally recommended to wait 30 minutes after brushing before drinking water. This gives the fluoride from the toothpaste time to set on your teeth.
- Drinking water right after brushing can wash away the protective fluoride coating left by the toothpaste.
- Waiting to drink water allows the fluoride to strengthen enamel and prevent cavities.
- If you need to rinse after brushing, do a quick rinse with a small amount of water.
- Drinking a full glass of water right after brushing is not recommended by most dental professionals.
Does Drinking Water After Brushing Wash Away Toothpaste?
One of the main concerns with drinking water after brushing is that it can wash away the toothpaste before the fluoride has time to properly set on your teeth. Fluoride is an important ingredient in toothpaste.
It helps strengthen tooth enamel and prevent cavities. When you brush your teeth, you want the fluoride from the toothpaste to remain on your teeth for as long as possible. This allows the fluoride to be fully absorbed by the enamel.
Drinking water too soon after brushing can shorten the contact time of the fluoride. This decreases the preventive effects of the fluoride treatment from your toothpaste.
Role of Fluoride
Fluoride works to protect your teeth in these key ways:
- Strengthens tooth enamel – Fluoride gets incorporated into the tooth structure, making enamel more resistant to acid attacks.
- Prevents cavities – The fluoride in toothpaste prevents cavities from forming by inhibiting bacteria that cause cavities.
- Limits acid damage – Fluoride limits the ability of plaque bacteria to produce acid after eating sugary and starchy foods.
When you wash away the fluoride too soon, you reduce these protective effects. This leaves your teeth more vulnerable to cavities and enamel damage.
Fluoride Contact Time
Research shows that fluoride needs to interact with your teeth for several minutes to allow for adequate absorption. Most dental professionals recommend waiting at least 30 minutes after brushing before drinking water.
This gives the fluoride enough contact time to properly set on your teeth. Even though you may visibly rinse away all toothpaste foam, there is still a protective layer of fluoride left behind. Drinking water too soon can diminish this layer.
Does Water Dilute the Fluoride?
Drinking water after brushing not only washes away toothpaste residue, it also dilutes the fluoride concentration. Higher concentrations of fluoride are more readily absorbed by tooth enamel.
When you drink a glass of water right after brushing, you dilute the fluoride concentration faster than waiting. This reduces the preventive effects. The longer you can leave a high concentration of fluoride on your teeth, the better.
Amount of Water Matters
Research has looked at how the amount of water you drink affects the concentration and contact time of fluoride. One study had participants rinse with different water volumes after brushing.
The results showed that rinsing with a large amount of water (about 11 ounces) reduced the availability of fluoride. However, using a small amount of water (around 1.5 ounces) did not significantly impact fluoride levels.
This suggests that drinking a full glass of water dilutes the fluoride too much but a quick, small rinse is not as detrimental.
Spitting vs. Rinsing
Another study compared spitting out excess toothpaste foam to rinsing with water after brushing. The researchers found that spitting did not reduce fluoride nearly as much as swishing and rinsing.
Those who rinsed with a sip of water after brushing retained less fluoride than those who just spit. Spitting seems to be better than rinsing if you need to clear toothpaste from your mouth.
Waiting Period Recommendations
Most dental organizations and experts recommend waiting at least 30 minutes between brushing and drinking anything. Here are some specific guidelines on waiting after brushing:
- American Dental Association – Wait at least 30 minutes before eating or drinking anything after brushing.
- European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry – Advises not eating or drinking for 30 minutes after tooth brushing.
- World Health Organization – Suggests waiting at least 30 minutes after brushing before rinsing mouth.
- Colgate – Recommends not eating, drinking, or rinsing for 30 minutes after brushing teeth.
The 30 minute waiting period allows for optimal fluoride absorption. This wait time is considered ideal though any amount of time helps increase fluoride contact.
Nighttime Brushing
It’s especially important not to drink water right after your nighttime brushing. Since you produce less saliva while sleeping, you want as much fluoride present on your teeth as possible.
Make it a habit not to drink any water the half hour before bedtime after you’ve brushed your teeth.
What If You Need to Rinse?
Some people don’t like having the toothpaste foam in their mouth and feel they need to rinse after brushing. If you need to rinse, dental experts say to:
- Rinse briefly with a small amount of water.
- Just swish once and spit the water out.
- Aim for about 1 ounce of water, which is a sip.
- Try spitting out excess foam rather than rinsing.
The most important thing is to avoid drinking a full glass of water right after brushing. A brief rinse with a sip of water is better than excessive rinsing if you need to clear toothpaste residue.
Tips for Getting Used to Waiting
Here are some tips if you are used to drinking water immediately after brushing and want to get in the habit of waiting:
- Have a new morning routine – Get dressed, make coffee, or read the news before having water in the morning.
- Set a timer – Use your phone timer or watch alarm to remind you when 30 minutes is up.
- Leave the bathroom – Brush in the bathroom but wait to drink water in another room.
- Distract yourself – Find an activity to keep yourself occupied during the waiting period.
- Have gum or mints – Use sugar-free gum or mints if you need more moisture.
It may feel odd at first but over time you will get used to waiting 30 minutes or more after brushing to drink water. The benefits for your dental health make it worth modifying this habit.
What About Other Drinks?
The recommendations about drinking water after brushing also apply to other beverages. Any drink can rinse away protective fluoride, not just water.
It’s best to avoid any drinks for 30 minutes after brushing, including:
- Coffee
- Tea
- Juice
- Milk
- Soda
- Sports drinks
Stick to waiting before having any beverage after brushing your teeth. Coffee, tea, and other drinks can all interfere with optimal fluoride absorption when consumed too soon after brushing.
More Acidic Drinks
Beverages like juice, soda, and sports drinks can be even more problematic because they contain acids. The acidic pH in these drinks can weaken enamel, especially when consumed right after brushing.
Acidic drinks strip away some of the mineral content in enamel when fluoride levels are lowered after brushing. This combines for significant enamel damage. Waiting to consume acidic drinks allows your saliva to neutralize and remineralize your teeth first.
What About Eating After Brushing?
In addition to avoiding drinking for 30 minutes after brushing, it’s recommended to wait before eating as well. This allows the concentrated fluoride to set on your teeth before food and beverages can wash it away.
Eating and drinking too soon after brushing diminishes the preventive benefits of fluoride. Food residue can also get stuck where fluoride is still binding to your teeth, which provides an added food source for bacteria.
By waiting 30 minutes or more before eating or drinking anything after brushing, you ensure maximum fluoride protection.
Nighttime Brushing
At night, waiting 30-60 minutes after brushing before going to sleep is especially beneficial. You have lower saliva flow when sleeping, so any food or drinks can sit on your teeth longer and do more damage.
Give your teeth optimal fluoride protection by avoiding all eating and drinking for at least 30 minutes after your final brushing of the day.
Does Water Temperature Matter?
Some people wonder if the temperature of water makes a difference when drinking after brushing teeth. Let’s look at the evidence.
Cold Water
There is no evidence that cold water is any better than room temperature or warm water when consumed after brushing. The temperature itself does not seem to impact fluoride efficacy.
However, some people speculate that the sensation of cold water could temporarily harden tooth enamel more than warm water. But there are no studies proving this.
Warm Water
Drinking warm water after brushing teeth has not been shown to be any worse than colder water. But some theories suggest it may be slightly less beneficial.
The sensation of warm liquid may soften tooth enamel more than cold liquids. However, this effect would be temporary and unlikely to cause significant enamel damage.
Room Temperature
Room temperature water falls somewhere in the middle. It seems to have no advantages or disadvantages compared to warm or cold water when considering the impact on tooth enamel.
Overall, the act of drinking water in itself seems more important than the water’s temperature. Any temperature of water can interfere with fluoride efficacy if consumed right after brushing.
Does the Water Source Matter?
Some types of drinking water have fluoride added during water treatment. So does the water source change the effect of drinking water after brushing teeth?
Fluoridated Tap Water
Many public water supplies have fluoride added to help prevent tooth decay. But this fluoride concentration is generally lower than in toothpaste.
While fluoridated tap water does provide some cavity protection, the fluoride from your toothpaste offers a much higher concentration and longer contact time when left on your teeth.
Drinking tap water, even if fluoridated, after brushing can still dilute the toothpaste fluoride and reduce its efficacy.
Bottled Water
Bottled water is unlikely to contain fluoride since it goes through purification processes that remove fluoride. Rinsing with bottled water after brushing removes fluoride exposure entirely.
This supports the recommendation to avoid any type of water for 30 minutes after brushing, regardless of the fluoride content.
Well Water
Well water typically has no added fluoride. The fluoride levels can vary based on the depth of the well and geology of the location.
Well water often has very low concentrations of naturally occurring fluoride. The higher levels of fluoride from toothpaste are still recommended for cavity protection.
Avoid drinking well water for 30 minutes after brushing to allow the concentrated fluoride treatment to set in.
What About Swallowing Toothpaste?
Many toothpastes contain notices warning not to swallow the toothpaste. This precaution is mainly due to the risk of fluorosis in young children if they ingest too much fluoride while their teeth are still developing.
For adults, accidentally swallowing a small amount of toothpaste here and there is not a safety concern. But intentionally swallowing toothpaste should be avoided.
The fluoride is meant to be applied topically to teeth. Swallowing excess toothpaste can lead to gastrointestinal irritation without providing any extra dental health benefit.
Proper Use of Toothpaste
Using toothpaste properly helps avoid accidentally swallowing it:
- Use only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on your brush.
- Teach children not to bite down and eat the toothpaste.
- Rinse thoroughly and spit carefully after brushing.
- Supervise young kids while brushing.
Following toothpaste directions prevents ingesting too much fluoride. The fluoride works best when kept topical on teeth rather than swallowed.
Does Drinking Water Help Prevent Cavities?
While it’s best to avoid drinking water right after brushing, staying hydrated throughout the day is important for oral health. Drinking plenty of water has benefits for your teeth.
Here are some of the top ways that drinking water helps prevent cavities:
- Produces saliva – More saliva helps neutralize mouth acid and wash away food particles.
- Cleans the mouth – Water washes away sugars and bacteria that cause cavities.
- Provides minerals – Fluoride and other minerals in water strengthen enamel.
- Prevents dry mouth – Staying hydrated avoids the increased decay risk from dry mouth.
The key is drinking water sufficiently before or at least 30 minutes after brushing teeth. Timing is everything when it comes to water and oral hygiene.
Conclusion
Drinking water immediately after brushing teeth can reduce thepreventive benefits of fluoride. Most experts recommend waiting at least 30 minutes after brushing before drinking water or other beverages.
This allows time for the concentrated fluoride from toothpaste to properly bind to teeth and protect against demineralization. Any food, drink, or water consumed too soon after brushing can wash away protective fluoride coating the teeth.
Making an effort to wait 30-60 minutes after brushing before drinking water or eating food allows for maximum cavity prevention. Teeth are most susceptible to decay with lower saliva flow at night, so it’s especially important not to drink or eat after the final brushing of the day.
While waiting 30 minutes may seem difficult at first, over time it can become a normal routine. The dental health benefits make this small change to your daily schedule well worth it.
