Don't Drink Orange Juice Right Before You Go to Bed or Before You Brush Your Teeth

You should drink orange juice whenever you can. It's a healthy drink, and much better for you than soda, coffee, and Kool-aid. But, there are two particular times of the day when you should refrain from drinking orange juice in order to preserve the enamel on your teeth: before you go to bed and before you brush your teeth.

Don't drink orange juice right before you go to bed
Orange juice is acidic and, much like soda (though not nearly as bad), it can damage your teeth. The worst time for this is while you sleep, since your mouth doesn't generate the same amount of saliva as when you are awake. Hello morning breath! Lack of saliva is what causes this. Furthermore, during the day you are eating, drinking, chewing gum, and generally helping to remove plaque and produce saliva in your mouth. These things reduce the effect of acidic liquids on your teeth. Before you go to sleep, though, the acid in the orange juice has all night to go to town on your enamel. It's a good idea to refrain from drinking orange juice for at least one hour before you go to bed in order to prevent the acid from damaging your enamel.

Don't drink orange juice right before you brush your teeth
Similarly, you don't want to drink orange juice right before you brush your teeth. Again, the acid in orange juice is the culprit. If you drink a glass of orange juice and then brush your teeth, your enamel that has temporarily been weakened by the acid in the orange juice is now going to be made much worse by the friction caused by your toothbrush. Furthermore, you're moving the acid around and, most likely, pushing it in between your teeth and up in your gums. Like before you go to bed, you want to refrain from drinking orange juice for about an hour before you brush your teeth.

Wash your mouth out with water after drinking orange juice
So, what can you do if you want to prevent enamel damage from the acidity of orange juice? After drinking a glass of orange juice, it's a good idea to vigorously wash your mouth out with water for at least thirty seconds. This will help to get that acid off of your teeth and away from your gums. It also would be a good idea to rinse and wash out your mouth before brushing your teeth and before you go to bed. You just don't want to take any chances that the acid sitting in your mouth will cause damage to your enamel. Mouthwash would be a good idea as well.

Orange juice is a healthy drink, and you certainly don't want to remove it from your diet. But, the acidity can cause damage to your enamel, particularly if you drink it right before you got to bed and before you brush your teeth. By following these guidelines, you'll reduce your chance of causing enamel damage, while still being able to enjoy orange juice.