5 Benefits of Brushing 3 Times a Day (5+ Expert Suggestions)
By
Dr Shivam Jha
This blog post will address the topic, “benefits of brushing teeth 3 times a day” and cover topics like what research says, how brushing 3 times a day benefits, toothbrushing techniques to avoid over brushing and points to consider for getting more benefits from brushing teeth 3 times a day.
Benefits of brushing teeth 3 times a day
Brushing three times a day increases the life of your teeth and reduces the risk of tooth decay, gingivitis and periodontal diseases.
A research study reported that the chances of developing malignancies decreases as the frequency of teeth brushing increases.
However, it is not compulsory to brush your teeth three times a day. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing your teeth twice a day for two minutes each time, using a fluoride toothpaste.
What Does Research Say?
Frequency Of Tooth Brushing
It is recommended by the American Dental Association (ADA) and most dentists to brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes each time with a toothpaste containing fluoride.
It is recommended to brush your teeth twice a day, once in the morning, just after waking up and once at night, just before going to bed.
Literature study lacks clear evidence on the optimal time-point of tooth brushing. However, most studies recommend tooth brushing to be done after meals to reduce the impact of food impaction and plaque formation.
Best Time To Brush Teeth
While it is recommended to brush your teeth twice a day, in the morning when you wake up and at night before you go to bed, brushing at night is actually more beneficial.
It is actually better to brush in the night because the saliva production reduces significantly at night. This makes the plaque formation and bacterial attack to your tooth enamel more significant and cause more damage.
During the day, saliva production is optimum. Saliva has antibacterial properties and also acid neutralizing action. Thus, plaque formation is not much significant during the day.
Things To Consider Before Brushing Your Teeth
While considering when to brush your teeth, you must keep in mind the type of food you just had.
Do not brush immediately after having any acidic food or drink as these acids weaken tooth enamel, and brushing immediately can cause enamel wearing or erosion making your teeth more susceptible to developing cavities.
Tooth Brushing And Heart Health
A recent study published in European journal of preventive cardiology concluded that improved oral hygiene by regular tooth brushing may reduce risk of atrial fibrillation and heart failure.
Previous studies have also reported bad oral hygiene to cause bacteria entering the bloodstream from the mouth and causing inflammation which further leads to atrial fibrillation and heart failure.
How Is Brushing Three Times A Day Beneficial?
Brushing Thrice A Day Prevents Plaque Build Up
Brushing just once a day, either in the morning or at night, does not remove the food bits that remain stuck on your teeth.
As a result, the food debris is attacked by the bacteria forming a layer of plaque on your teeth and gums. The bacteria breaks down the food and releases acid.
The acid released erodes the enamel and weakens it to form cavities and thus resulting in tooth decay and gingival bleeding.
Brushing three times a day after meals is essential to prevent plaque build up and thereby prevent tooth decay.
Brushing Three Times A Day Helps Prevent Tartar Buildup
Tartar is a calcified plaque on your teeth that forms when plaque is left undisturbed for about a day.
Brushing thrice a day compared to brushing just once, removes the plaque before it hardens and calcifies to become tartar.
Tartar once formed, teeth become yellow and more prone to bacterial attack and decay and other periodontal diseases.
Brushing Three Times Daily Prevents Bad Breath
Bad breath is often caused by volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs).
Anaerobic bacteria present on your tongue release these compounds, giving morning breath its characteristic stale, sulfur smell.
Brushing three times daily, preferably after meals, removes the anaerobic microbes causing bad breath and also maintains good oral hygiene.
Brushing Three Times A Day Helps You Get A Whiter Teeth
When you do not brush your teeth for two or three times in a day, plaque build up occurs and the undisturbed plaque finally hardens to form tartar, giving a yellow hue to your teeth.
Eating and Drinking also allow accumulation of pigments on your teeth. These pigments give a yellow discoloration to your teeth.
Brushing twice or three times a day does not allow these pigments to get absorbed in your enamel and thus prevents the yellow discoloration, giving your teeth a whiter look.
Brush Three Times A Day For Healthy Gums
When you do not brush your teeth or brush it just once, plaque accumulation and acid production causes tooth decay as well as gum irritation.
The accumulated plaque may also result in periodontal diseases and cause gum bleeding.
So to limit plaque accumulation, acid production and tartar build up on your teeth and thereby prevent tooth decay, periodontal diseases and gum bleeding, brushing three times a day has been recommended by many studies.
Is Brushing Three Times A Day Over Brushing?
No. Brushing three times a day may seem too much but studies have reported it to be associated with good oral health and overall health of heart.
Over-brushing your teeth not only means brushing your teeth more times than recommended but also brushing incorrectly with extra force and pace.
Vigorous and fast brushing regularly, with too much force can cause the outermost layer of teeth to erode, increasing the risk for dental abrasion, tooth sensitivity, and gum recession.
How To Brush Your Teeth Three Times A Day Without The Risk Of Over-Brushing?
Here is how you can brush your teeth three times a day with correct technique and avoid over-brushing and its associated discomfort:
- Use a small amount of water to lubricate your brush.
- Put a small, pea-size amount of toothpaste on the toothbrush head.
- At about a 45-degree angle to your gums , place the toothbrush into your mouth
- Use gentle, short strokes to brush your front teeth.
- Brush the outside surfaces as well as the back molars and upper areas of your chewing surfaces.
- Brush the inside surfaces of both top and bottom front teeth by flipping your toothbrush upside down.
- Brush your tongue to get rid of any bacteria or plaque.
- Spit out the remnants of toothpaste, saliva, and water into a clean sink.
- Rinse your mouth with cold water and you are done.
Get More Benefits From Brushing Three Times A Day: Points To Consider
Choose An Appropriate Toothbrush
Choosing an appropriate toothbrush is the first and most important step towards toothbrushing. Yet, this is neglected by most of the people.
Toothbrushes with more rounded bristles are soft to your teeth and are considered to be an ideal toothbrush to use.
Do Not Immediately Brush after Eating Acidic Foods
You must wait for 30 minutes to one hour after consumption of acidic foods and drinks. The acid in the food or drink otherwise may erode the enamel layer and regular habit may cause exposed dentin leading to pain and sensitivity and increased risk of developing cavities.
Use Gentle and Short Strokes When Brushing Your Teeth
Use gentle, short strokes to brush your front teeth and thoroughly clean your mouth without abrading the enamel.
Brush the outside surfaces as well as the back molars and upper areas of your chewing surfaces. Brush the inside surfaces of both top and bottom front teeth by flipping your toothbrush upside down.
Brush your tongue to get rid of any bacteria or plaque.
Use A Fluoride Toothpaste
Fluoride can greatly help achieve oral and dental health by strengthening the tooth enamel, making it more resistant to tooth decay.
Fluoride reduces the amount of acid produced by the bacteria on your mouth.
Floss Daily To Get Maximum Benefits Out Of Tooth Brushing
Many people, despite knowing the benefits of flossing daily, just neglect it.
According to a study, flossing is highly effective in reducing the interproximal caries risk.
Daily floss can help stimulate your gums and reduce plaque leading to lesser inflammation risk.
Consider Mouthwash
Therapeutic mouthwashes as the name suggests have therapeutic action and control dental conditions like gingivitis, tooth decay and periodontal diseases. They also help remove halitosis.
Therapeutic Mouthwashes contain ADA listed active ingredients such as fluoride, peroxide, essential oils, cetylpyridinium chloride, and chlorhexidine, all regulated by the FDA.
See Your Dentist At Least Twice A Year
It is important to get your oral health checked twice every year with an interval of 6 months between two visits.
Your dentist can help remove calculus and locate cavities and will also be able to spot potential oral health issues, if any, and offer treatment solutions.
Conclusion
This blog post addressed the topic, “Benefits of brushing teeth 3 times a day”. We understood that brushing 3 times a day, after meals, is beneficial not just for oral health but also for heart and overall health.
The article outlined the correct brushing techniques to avoid over-brushing and reasons why you must brush three times a day.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs): Benefits Of Brushing Teeth 3 Times A Day
Will Brushing My Teeth 3 Times A Day Make Them Whiter?
Brushing your teeth 3 times a day can make them whiter if the reason behind discoloration is temporary food stains.
Toothbrushing is not meant to make your teeth whiter but protect them from plaque accumulation and decay.
Tooth color is naturally decided by the color of your dentin. The outer enamel is transparent and thus the color of dentin gives your teeth naturally an off-white appearance.
Over-the-counter teeth whitening products may help to make them lighter but are not considered the best way.
The best way to achieve whiter teeth is in-office whitening treatment offered by your dentist.
Why Is It Important To Brush Your Teeth Everyday?
It is important to brush your teeth everyday as it prevents plaque deposition on your teeth and thus reduces the bacterial accumulation and acid production.
Reduced bacterial accumulation and acid production protects the enamel from eroding and weakening and formation of cavities.
Brushing your teeth daily increases the life of your teeth and is beneficial not just for your mouth but also for your heart.
When And How Often Should Children Brush Their Teeth?
It is important for infants and children to maintain good oral hygiene for a good overall health and development.
Use a soft-bristled infant toothbrush with a rice grain size of fluoride toothpaste for brushing their teeth.
Children 3 to 6 years old can brush their teeth twice a day, once in the morning and once at night, for 2 minutes each time using a pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste.
It is important to supervise the brushing sessions of Infants and children, to prevent them from swallowing the fluoride toothpaste.
Which Is More Beneficial: Manual Or Electric Toothbrush?
A 2014 study concluded that electric toothbrushes with rotating heads may be more effective in reducing plaque and gingivitis than manual brushes in the short and long term.
However, it is important to choose your toothbrush according to your mouth and gum condition.
If using a manual toothbrush, a soft-bristled toothbrush is good to clean your teeth as using a hard-bristled toothbrush may abrade the enamel and lead to dental abrasion and recession of gums.
Replace your toothbrush after every 3 months or as soon as you notice the bristles of your toothbrush beginning to bend, fray, and wear out.
Why Are My Teeth Not White When I Brush Them Everyday?
Your teeth are not white even on brushing them everyday because the teeth are actually not perfectly white in their natural state.
Dentin layer is responsible for off-white appearance of your teeth as enamel, the outermost layer is transparent.
Moreover, toothbrushing is not for whitening your teeth. Toothbrushing is essential to remove plaque and food debris and maintain good oral and dental hygiene.
Why Do Teeth Turn Yellow?
There are many reasons for your teeth turning yellow. It may be due to thinning of enamel and dentin due to regular and continuous aggressive brushing, or smoking or tobacco chewing, or staining from tea and coffee, or excess use of fluoride.
Can Yellow Teeth Become White?
Yes. Yellow teeth can become white by undergoing the whitening process as recommended by your dentist and your dental hygienist.
Other FAQs about Teeth brushing that you may be interested in.
How Long Does It Take For Yellow Teeth To Turn White With Toothpaste
Why Are My Teeth Yellow When I Brush Them Everyday?
If I Brush My Teeth 3 Times A Day Will They Get Whiter?
References:
- Kobayashi, D., Takahashi, O., & Shimbo, T. (2019). Frequency of daily tooth brushing and development of any type of malignancy. Anticancer research, 39(8), 4415-4421.
- Attin, Thomas, and Else Hornecker. “Tooth brushing and oral health: how frequently and when should tooth brushing be performed?.” Oral health & preventive dentistry 3.3 (2005).
- How Often Should You Brush Your Teeth? (2021)
- 11 Ways to Keep Your Teeth Healthy. (2019)
- Chang, Y., Woo, H. G., Park, J., Lee, J. S., & Song, T. J. (2020). Improved oral hygiene care is associated with decreased risk of occurrence for atrial fibrillation and heart failure: a nationwide population-based cohort study. European journal of preventive cardiology, 27(17), 1835-1845.
- How Come My Teeth Are Not White When I Brush Them Every Day? Triangle Dentistry. (2020)