The Perfect Nighttime Oral Care Routine You Need for Better Oral Hygiene

Start your nightly oral care regimen early

By sticking to a daily care pm regimen, you can help your gums, teeth, and beneficial mouth bacteria flourish. Here’s how:

Eat Dinner

Ideally, a meal lower in carbohydrates, like seared salmon or chicken with vegetables. If you instead go for a high-carb main with lots of added simple sugars (like ribs with BBQ sauce and cornbread), its sugars will turn into acids in your mouth and can lead to the buildup of cavities and tooth decay. Try to chew thoroughly to help you glean as many nutrients as possible from your meal. Some experts urge chewing each bite up to 32 times.

Drink water

Which will help rinse food particles and bacteria off your teeth. Try to avoid alcohol, which can cause dry mouth. As an added negative, red wine can stain your teeth.

Then, right before bed

Floss—

to stimulate your gums, reduce inflammation, and remove food and plaque from your teeth.  

Brush all surfaces of your teeth for two minutes—

And don’t forget the backs and sides of your teeth. Use a soft-bristled brush (harder bristles can be hard on gums) plus toothpaste. Position your brush at a 45-degree angle towards your gums and use gentle circular motions. Be sure to use a brush with soft to medium bristles so you don’t damage your gums with brushing. If you are thinking about replacing your manual brush with a sonic toothbrush, go for it! A sonic toothbrush gives you brushing advantages over a manual version.

Brush your tongue—

You can brush your tongue with the same toothbrush or a tongue-scraper. Tongue scraping helps remove leftover food particles and bacteria that may cause cavities or periodontitis from the tongue.

Wear a mouthguard—

If you grind or clench at night, wear a mouthguard to protect your teeth (talk to your dentist or hygienist for more information).

Consider mouth taping—

Take a look at mouth-taping to encourage you to breathe through your nose while you sleep. Proponents believe this practice helps cut down on bad breath, snoring, and fatigue.

Meditate and massage—

To ease your body into relaxation mode, meditate or take some deep breaths. Then, massage and rub your jaw to help release tension.

Don't miss our morning and daytime oral routine articles:

Master the Art of Morning Mouth Care With Our Ultimate Guide

Redesign Your Daytime Routines for a Healthy Oral Microbiome

And, check out the Viome Guide to Oral Health, our full guide from the Viome Clinical Nutrition Team!