Do I Really Need to Brush My Teeth for 2 Minutes?

If you remember anything from this article, just remember "3 to 5 minutes."

We live in a “microwave society” where we want things now. Our attention span is so much shorter that movies and news are consumed in shorter clips or we move on. Brushing teeth seems the same. The average person brushes their teeth for 45 seconds even though we know to brush teeth for two minutes twice a day.

Do we really have to brush a minimum of two minutes? The quick answer is YES, if not more than two minutes!

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1. Fluoride Needs 3-5 Minutes to Absorb Into Your Teeth

Fluoride absorbs into teeth within 3-5 minutes of brushing. Anything short of two minutes does not allow fluoride toothpaste to fulfill its function. Studies show there is a significant difference in fluoride lingering in teeth over a span of several hours when brushing for two minutes as opposed to 45 seconds. Fluoride from toothpaste can last 12 hours in your teeth.

An interesting fact if you decide to use a fluoride mouth rinse (ACT) thinking it can replace brushing teeth, research shows mouth rinse alone does not have enough fluoride to permeate into teeth! Fluoride mouth rinse must be used in conjunction with toothpaste to be effective.

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2. Plaque & Debris Removal

Brushing for two minutes compared to 45 seconds removes 41% more plaque. The bristles are the mechanical forces that remove loose plaque and debris but do not brush too hard or you can cause “abfractions” on teeth at the gums level. This will wear teeth away and lead to heightened sensitivity and potential cavities.

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Final Thoughts

Fluoride in toothpaste is the only known ingredient proven to prevent dental caries (cavities). Brushing more than two minutes is encouraged as long as you do not brush aggressively. Do not rinse your mouth out with water when finished and refrain from eating or drinking up to 30 minutes after brushing. Fluoride ideally needs to sit on teeth for a minimum of three minutes to start being absorbed into teeth.