Shown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Emme on July 22, 2004, at 23:33:13
Okay, here's mystery for you. This happens night after night. It's getting late. I'm not hungry, so I think I'm done eating for the night and it's time to brush and floss. I brush and floss. Presto! I'm hungry. Now, maybe it's psychological: it's inconvenient to re-brush, therefore I want to eat. Kind of like itching when your hands are tied up.
Or....is there some sort of physiologic thing that happens as a result of opening your mouth and probably excreting some saliva as you brush.
Anybody want to have some fun figuring this out?
Posted by KaraS on July 22, 2004, at 23:53:43
In reply to Tooth brushing = hungry, posted by Emme on July 22, 2004, at 23:33:13
> Okay, here's mystery for you. This happens night after night. It's getting late. I'm not hungry, so I think I'm done eating for the night and it's time to brush and floss. I brush and floss. Presto! I'm hungry. Now, maybe it's psychological: it's inconvenient to re-brush, therefore I want to eat. Kind of like itching when your hands are tied up.
>
> Or....is there some sort of physiologic thing that happens as a result of opening your mouth and probably excreting some saliva as you brush.
>
> Anybody want to have some fun figuring this out?
>
>That is strange. The toothpaste is sweet tasting so maybe it does stimulate your appetite physiologically. It could also have a psychological component in that we all want what we can't have. Maybe it's a combination of both. I get intensely thirsty for something carbonated after I've brushed my teeth. In that case I can drink sparkling water. I guess that's just as strange.
Posted by Cass on July 23, 2004, at 15:28:54
In reply to Tooth brushing = hungry, posted by Emme on July 22, 2004, at 23:33:13
It's funny that you say that. A friend of mine recently told me that she keeps her weight down with a trick. She says that to avoid snacking at night, she brushing her teeth early, and somehow that takes away her hunger. I was guessing maybe brushing the teeth changed the PH of the mouth and somehow relieved her of hunger, or that it was psychological. If it's psychological, I guess brushing teeth has a different psychological effect on different people. It's just the opposite for her.
Posted by Emme on July 24, 2004, at 10:16:35
In reply to Re: Tooth brushing = hungry » Emme, posted by Cass on July 23, 2004, at 15:28:54
That's a good weight control method your friend has. We could start a whole new subfield: the psychology of tooth brushing. In fact, I wonder if they've studied the psychology of why people do or don't brush and floss. I mean tons of people won't venture out without makeup in place, or having shaved. But not everyone flosses or brushes enough...
> It's funny that you say that. A friend of mine recently told me that she keeps her weight down with a trick. She says that to avoid snacking at night, she brushing her teeth early, and somehow that takes away her hunger. I was guessing maybe brushing the teeth changed the PH of the mouth and somehow relieved her of hunger, or that it was psychological. If it's psychological, I guess brushing teeth has a different psychological effect on different people. It's just the opposite for her.
Posted by Cass on July 24, 2004, at 11:39:40
In reply to Re: Tooth brushing = hungry, posted by Emme on July 24, 2004, at 10:16:35
Lately I'm really into flossing. For one thing, I've heard that there's a link between flossing and longevity. Funny, huh? Also, during a recent dentist visit, the hygenist told me I have some pockets in my gums. She also said my flossing technique was incorrect, so now that I know the proper method I'm really working on getting rid of those pockets.
But on a psychological level, I know that when I was really depressed, I didn't always brush enough and I rarely flossed. Yet, as you mentioned, I never went out of the house without make-up on.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Health | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD, bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.