Brits Ignoring Spit Not Rinse Tooth Brushing Advice

Thu, 17 Jun 2010

Many British adults are still in the habit of rinsing their mouth with water after brushing, despite the message from dental experts that it is better to spit than rinse.

The Department of Health's toolkit for prevention, ‘Delivering better oral health ’, along with several studies and other recent oral hygiene advice all suggest patients should spit and not rinse after brushing their teeth .

However, a recent poll carried out by the British Dental Health Foundation found that over half (51.3 per cent) of UK adults are ignoring this advice and by rinsing their mouths thoroughly with water.

According to dental professionals, rinsing with water after tooth brushing counteracts the positive effect of fluoride in the mouth and simply washes it away.

But they say rinsing can have a positive effect on oral health as long as a mouthwash containing fluoride is used and not water.

A recent blinded, randomised study highlighted the positive effect of fluoride mouthwash . It showed that 100ppm mouthwash, such as Listerine, even when used immediately after brushing, maintains the fluoride levels obtained from a fluoridated toothpaste .
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