When we are brushing our teeth, aren't we speeding up the wearing out of the enamel?

How do the fluoride and calcium ions in toothpaste benefit us?

The bacteria on your teeth combine with sugar to form lactic acid. this causes the pH in your mouth to rise, causing the local loss of calcium in your teeth, then leaving your tooth enamel exposed and suseptible for tooth decay. Brushing with fluoride helps to keep a protective sheath over your teeth preventing this from happening. This is why your supposed to brush 'after meals.' This doesn't speed up the wearing away of enamel, it doesn't wear it out at all.

 

...Wikipedia probably does a better job than me

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tooth

scroll till you get to "Tooth Decay."

The bacteria on your teeth combine with sugar to form lactic acid. this causes the pH in your mouth to rise, causing the local loss of calcium in your teeth,

It's actually lower the pH, right?

 

I was told that fluorides help increase the density of enamel.

There can be problems with over brushing, but you really need to be brushing hard to do much damage.

The bacteria on your teeth combine with sugar to form lactic acid. this causes the pH in your mouth to rise, causing the local loss of calcium in your teeth, then leaving your tooth enamel exposed and suseptible for tooth decay. Brushing with fluoride helps to keep a protective sheath over your teeth preventing this from happening. This is why your supposed to brush 'after meals.' This doesn't speed up the wearing away of enamel, it doesn't wear it out at all.

 

No. No that's not right at all.

 

Okay here's the quick version. Bacterial creates lactic acid pH goes down. Flouride binds to enamel in teeth making the enamel itself less basic, and thus more tolerant to acidic conditions.

 

Umm yeah brushing isn't forceful enough to physically remove the enamel to a degree that anyone would notice.

No. No that's not right at all.

 

Okay here's the quick version. Bacterial creates lactic acid pH goes down. Flouride binds to enamel in teeth making the enamel itself less basic' date=' and thus more tolerant to acidic conditions.

 

Umm yeah brushing isn't forceful enough to physically remove the enamel to a degree that anyone would notice.[/quote']

 

I don't know... the bristles on my toothbrush are pretty stiff...

I don't know... the bristles on my toothbrush are pretty stiff...

 

I'd be more worried about scratching up your gums.

I remember reading once that you dont need to brush directly after meals to benefit... That the flouride protects for up to 12 hours, and that as long as you keep the "window" of flouride active, your teeth will be healthy.

Has anyone got any papers on the way F affects one's body?

Found this one. I don't know how reliable the source is (I dislike articles that don't cite references). But perhaps there's some truth to it. Can anyone share any more info?