Psycho-Babble Health Thread 369227

Shown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

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?

 

Re: Tooth brushing = hungry

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.

 

Re: Tooth brushing = hungry » Emme

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.

 

Re: Tooth brushing = hungry

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.

 

Re: Tooth brushing = hungry » Emme

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.


Show another thread

URL of post in thread:


Psycho-Babble Health | Extras | FAQ


[dr. bob] 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.