Value Village ／ Health
This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.
"Do not brush for 30 minutes after eating." "Japanese people hardly floss." Tooth-brushing habits differ from country to country, and opinions split on forums abroad too. Here is what the Japan Dental Association, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) and Japan's "8020 Campaign" (keep 20 of your own teeth at age 80) say.
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Brushing frequency | About 80% of adults brush twice a day or more (about 30% after every meal) | Survey of Dental Diseases (2022) |
| Brushing straight after eating | Fine after an ordinary meal. After acidic food or drink (fizzy drinks, citrus, vinegar, wine), rinse with water and wait about 30 minutes as a guideline | Japan Dental Association |
| Floss and interdental brushes | Used by about 40%. A toothbrush alone is generally described as removing only about 60% of the debris between the teeth; once a day (at night) is recommended | Same |
| Replacing your toothbrush | Once a month (before the bristles splay) | Same |
| Toothpaste | Fluoride toothpaste (1,450 ppm; the upper limit was raised in 2017). After brushing, rinse once with a small amount of water (to leave the fluoride on the teeth) | MHLW; Japanese Society for Oral Health |
| 8020 Campaign | 20 or more teeth at age 80. Achieved by about 51% (2022) | MHLW |
| Check-ups | A dental check-up once or twice a year. The dental check-up rate is a target in Health Japan 21 (the national health-promotion plan) | MHLW |
[Verify] Check brushing frequency and the 8020 achievement rate against the Survey of Dental Diseases (2022), and the fluoride recommendation against the Japanese Society for Oral Health's "Recommended Use of Fluoride Toothpaste" (2023).
You may brush straight after an ordinary meal. Only after acidic food or drink, rinse with water and wait a little.
A toothbrush alone leaves much of the debris between the teeth. Floss or an interdental brush once a day is the basis of gum-disease prevention.
Rinse once with a little water, to leave the fluoride on. Not eating or drinking for 30 minutes afterwards helps further.
This causes damaged gums and worn tooth necks (wedge-shaped defects at the gumline). Use a soft to medium brush, light pressure and small strokes. Do not press an electric toothbrush against the teeth.
Gum disease progresses without pain; by the time you notice, the bone supporting the teeth has already receded. A check-up and cleaning once or twice a year is the precondition for 8020.
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https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/62-17.html
https://www.jda.or.jp/
https://www.kokuhoken.or.jp/
⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.
What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.
This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.
Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.
This article is not meant to diagnose or manage any specific medical condition. If you are worried about your health, see a doctor rather than relying on your own judgement.
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