- With Mayo Clinic prosthodontist
Alan Carr, D.M.D.
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Alan Carr, D.M.D.
Alan B. Carr, D.M.D.
Dr. Alan B. Carr, Department of Dental Specialties at Mayo Clinic, is a consultant in the Division of Prosthodontics and a professor of dentistry at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
Dr. Carr, a native of Hattiesburg, MS., received his prosthodontics training at Mayo. Following his training he has was an assistant professor at Marquette University and then became a full professor at Ohio State University where his clinical duties included Director of Maxillofacial Prosthetics at the James Cancer Hospital. He returned to Mayo in 2000.
Dr. Carr is board certified by the American Board of Prosthodontics. He served in the Air Force and has degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi, University of Mississippi and Mayo Graduate School of Medicine. He also is a member of numerous professional organizations including the American Academy of Maxillofacial Prosthetics, the American College of Prosthodontists and the American Dental Association. He has made dozens of international and national presentations, and is author of a dental textbook.
His clinical practice focuses on combined prosthodontics and reconstruction of patients with disabling oral conditions. His research interests include oral and craniofacial endosseous implants, tobacco cessation, and the impact of oral health on general health, especially for patients with chronic illness and the elderly.
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Question
When to brush your teeth
Is there a time that's best to brush your teeth? After certain foods?
Answer
from Alan Carr, D.M.D.
At a minimum, the American Dental Association recommends that you brush your teeth twice a day; one time should be before sleep. But if you snack and drink throughout the day, it may be helpful to brush your teeth more often.
When you brush your teeth, you help remove plaque — a sticky film that forms on your teeth because of bacteria in your mouth. The bacteria in plaque causes the two major tooth-related diseases, cavities (dental caries) and gum disease (periodontitis).
It's important to brush your teeth after you eat, because certain food and drinks cause bacteria in your mouth to release acids that are harmful to your tooth enamel. When you eat food or drink beverages containing sugar or starch, the bacteria in your mouth produce acids that can attack your tooth enamel for 20 minutes or more. Choosing nutritious foods that are low in carbohydrates and sugar and drinking plenty of water also can help reduce harmful acid production.
One caveat to brushing after you eat is if you've eaten an acidic food or drink — for example, orange juice. Avoid brushing your teeth for at least 30 minutes after acidic foods and beverages. These acids weaken tooth enamel, and brushing too soon can cause damage to the enamel. If you know you're going to eat or drink something very acidic ahead of time, you may want to brush your teeth first.
Brushing your teeth alone can't remove all of the decay-causing plaque. The American Dental Association also recommends using an antimicrobial mouth rinse plus flossing daily between your teeth to get rid of food particles and minimize plaque and bacteria.
Next questionHeart disease prevention: A link to oral health?
- Eating habits that can harm teeth. American Dental Association. http://www.ada.org/sections/scienceAndResearch/pdfs/patient_21.pdf. Accessed June 15, 2010.
- Cleaning your teeth and gums. American Dental Association. http://www.ada.org/3072.aspx?currentTab=1#plaque. Accessed June 15, 2010.
- Diet and oral health. American Dental Association. http://www.ada.org/2984.aspx?currentTab=1. Accessed June 15, 2010.
- Wiegand A, et al. Toothbrushing before or after an acidic challenge to minimize tooth wear? An in situ/ex vivo study. American Journal of Dentistry 2008;21:13.
- Lussi A. Dental erosion — Novel remineralizing agents in prevention or repair. Advances in Dental Research. 2009;21:13.
- Hooper SM, et al. The protective effects of toothpaste against erosion by orange juice: Studies in situ and in vitro. Journal of Dentistry. 2007;35:476.
- O'Hehir T. Evidence-based or just a tradition? Dental Abstracts. 2005;50:264.
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