Everyone knows you need to wait 30 minutes after eating before
jumping into the pool. But did you know you also need to wait
that long before brushing your teeth? I know. All this time you
thought you were being a little whitening hot shot by running to
the bathroom and scrubbing away those Pepsi stains before they
settled. Turns out, you were actually scrubbing the acids in the
soda further into your teeth. Yikes, right? Luckily, your body
is a lot smarter than you and will neutralize those acids on its
own. You just have to give it time. "Waiting 30 minutes allows
for the saliva to disintegrate the acids in the mouth," says New
York City cosmetic and restorative dentist Nancy Rosen. "You can
also rinse with water so the acids aren't bathing the tooth."
But don't think that just sodas are to blame. Red wine, white
wine, sports drinks, and even some foods (tomatoes—who knew?)
are also high in acids that erode enamel. And here's the worst
part: Once it's gone, it's gone. "Enamel doesn't grow back,"
Rosen says.