Should You Rinse After Brushing? Dentist Says Spit, Don’t Rinse

Many people rinse their mouths several times after brushing to remove any remaining toothpaste. But when it comes to preventing cavities, that habit may work against them.

If fluoride toothpaste is used, spitting it out without immediately rinsing with water can leave more fluoride on the tooth surface and in the saliva. That fluoride helps inhibit demineralization, when acids remove minerals from teeth, and promotes remineralization, which restores lost minerals and strengthens the teeth.

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Fluoride remains at a certain concentration on the tooth surface and in saliva even after brushing, inhibiting demineralization and promoting remineralization.

Han Seong-hun, a professor in the Department of Orthodontics at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, told Dong-A.com that repeatedly rinsing right after brushing quickly removes the fluoride and lowers its concentration. He said this can reduce the toothpaste’s cavity-prevention effect.

The advice is to spit out the toothpaste thoroughly and not swallow it, but avoid rinsing with water immediately if cavity prevention is the priority. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s national health information portal also recommends spitting without rinsing after brushing.

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To prevent cavities, it is better not to rinse with water immediately after brushing.