You're Doing It Wrong: Teeth Brushing After Wine Drinking

Mistakes you might be making

By Taylor Stephan Aug 23, 2016 1:00 PMTags
ESC: Jennifer Lawrence, WineLloyd Bishop/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Assuming that you're an adult over the age of 21, there are few things in this world more satisfying than a glass of wine after a hard day's work. (Just ask Jennifer Lawrence.)

While a glass of vino has a multitude of benefits (like anti-aging, preventing cancer and reducing the risk of depression), one thing it's not so great for is dental hygiene. Never mind the fact that a few swigs of red wine can instantly discolor your pearly whites and ruin your otherwise perfect Instagram photo. What's more pressing is how, without proper care, it erodes your enamel and weakens your teeth.

Since you're not going to avoid wine altogether, Dr. Sivan Finkel weighed in on how to drink it and protect your smile at the same time.

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What's so Bad About It: Too much of anything is bad news, but that rings especially true in the case of wine. "The acids in wine create rough spots and grooves that enable chemicals in other beverages that cause staining (such as coffee and tea) to penetrate deeper into the tooth," explained the pro. And it's not just reds. White wine is actually worse. So since it's not just the fact that wine stains (consuming it also makes other beverages stain more), it's especially important to incorporate the following practices during and after.

What to Do While You Drink: You're not going to stop drinking wine (or coffee or tea, for that matter) so while you're at it, make sure to swish. "We always advise patients to swish around with water in between glasses of wine," he shared. (It's actually pretty similar to the advice doled out over pacing yourself while consuming alcohol, right?) By interspersing glasses of the good stuff with H20, the acid won't have a chance to settle on your teeth. And what about drinking through a straw? The doc insisted that swishing is still is the better way to go.

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What to Do After You Drink: You might think that brushing your teeth the second you walk in the door is the best course of action—but not so fast. "It's important not to brush your teeth immediately after drinking wine, because the wine is acidic (again, red, white, rosé and even Champagne) and so the enamel can be temporarily softened," the pro advised. Instead, wait 30 minutes after your last glass and then brush before you crawl into bed. 

So, yes, you can indeed #roséallday. Just keep these healthy teeth tips in mind. 

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