Brush your teeth in the middle of the day—even at the office

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Here’s our latest suggestion: We know it can be a little gross. But brushing in the middle of the day—even when you’re at work—can do your teeth a favor. Most of us grew up with brush twice a day burned into our brains.

Many oral health practitioners say you needn’t stop at two. A midday tooth-brushing can help clear away plaque-promoting remnants of your afternoon doughnut, sweetened latte and even your mediocre $15 desk salad. “I would go as far as to say brush after every meal," says JaNae Jamison Kimbell, a dental hygienist and vice president of the National Dental Hygienists’ Association.

“Three times a day is much better than once or twice." Scientific research suggests more frequent tooth brushing may actually be linked to various long-term health benefits. One 2023 study in the journal BMC Oral Health suggests that people who brush once (or less) daily are more likely to have a chronic health condition than those who brush twice or more. Plaque begins to recolonize on the teeth between two to six hours after brushing it off, says Kimbell.

After about 48 hours, it hardens to calcified tartar, which a toothbrush can’t break up. Brushing regularly helps disrupt the plaque and stop the colonization. “The whole point of brushing is to remove the biofilm of bacteria that causes decay and gum disease," says Dr.