Why You Shouldn’t Brush Your Teeth Right After Drinking Wine

Pexels

We’ve all polished off a glass of vino (or two) before bedtime, right? It helps us relax and feel a little sleepy before calling it a night. However, these drinks before bed really don’t mesh well with our pre-sleep rituals, especially when it comes to dental health.

We want to avoid wine stains on our pearly whites as much as the next person, but we also want to preserve our beloved tooth enamel. And that means holding off on grabbing that toothbrush for at least an hour after finishing wine night. That can feel like an extremely long time to wait to brush your teeth when all you want to do is pass out, we know, but it’s critical for your teeth.

Pexels

Wine — both red and white varieties — contains high levels of acidity, which means it’s a pro at eroding your tooth enamel. (White wine is especially damaging.) Your teeth need time to recover from this exposure before you brush them since that scrubbing action is abrasive and can wear down weakened enamel even more. Often times, this enamel loss is permanent and leaves you vulnerable to both tooth sensitivity and cavities.

It’s also worth noting here that the more wine you drink, the more susceptible you are to enamel erosion, tooth-brushing timing aside. So maybe be mindful of how often you sip or switch up your alcohol choices from time to time.

Here’s looking at you, pinot grigio fans.