Brush 30 minutes after having breakfast, not before – Dr Gwendolyn Amarquaye-Bayitse

Resident Dentist of Pepsodent Ghana’s Dental TV show “Time With The Dentist” Dr. Gwendolyn Amarquaye-Bayitse, has in a bid to educate Ghanaians on good oral hygiene, advised that the whole brushing process should be done twice daily- after breakfast, and at night before bedtime.

It is often said that teeth never go out of style and that is why we need to care for them by brushing in the morning and at bedtime. While it may seem tempting to skip brushing your teeth at night especially after a hard day’s work, its importance goes beyond having a fresh breath. It helps prevent cavity, tooth decay, and gum disease.

"In the morning when we wake up, we all want to have a fresh breath before we go out to meet people and that is very important. The effect of Fluoride on the teeth is very essential in the morning. We need fluoride to come in contact with the teeth throughout the process of brushing to help strengthen the teeth and it is advisable we brush after breakfast” says Dr. Gwendolyn Amarquaye-Bayitse.

She emphasized that "it is also important to note that brushing in the morning should not be done immediately after breakfast, but you must wait 30minutes to 1 hour after breakfast before brushing. For those of us who may be in a hurry for one reason or the other, should rinse their mouth with water before brushing”.

During the day, we consume food and beverages which in addition to the micro-bacteria and germs in our mouth turn to form plaque on the surfaces of our teeth. That is one of the most important reasons to brush at night before bedtime to avoid allowing these germs and micro-organisms to feed on these plaques which results in tooth decay and gum disease.

Dr. Gwendolyn Amarquaye-Bayitse reiterates that skipping night brushing rather increases your chances of getting tooth decay and gum diseases.

Always remember to invite your family to brush with you and make it a fun and enjoyable activity. Time with The Dentist is a dental TV show by Pepsodent in partnership with the Ghana Dental Association.

The show seeks to educate Ghanaians on basic oral hygiene routines, how to care for the teeth, some myths, and facts associated with maintaining good oral hygiene among others.

It shows weekly on TV3, Adom TV, UTV, MX24 and GHOne TV.