Dentists Finally Solve the Debate on Should You Brush Your Teeth Before or After Breakfast

Brushing your teeth is essential, but not many people know that brushing them too often can harm your enamel. Or that putting a cap on your toothbrush is actually a bad idea. There are little things we do daily that actually do no good for our dental hygiene.

There’s a lot of debate on whether you should brush them before or after the most important meal of the day: breakfast. So Bright Side did the research and decided to end this long debate once and for all.

The best time to brush according to the experts

In order to maintain a routine, many people set a specific time to brush their teeth each day — the most common one being brushing every morning after waking up and every night before bedtime. But should that morning brush be before or after your breakfast? Experts claim that you should always brush them before.

Pros of brushing your teeth before breakfast

When you sleep, the bacteria on your mouth multiplies. This same bacteria is responsible for plaque and that’s why you always wake up with a bad taste in your mouth and bad breath. If you brush your teeth immediately after waking up, your teeth get a fluoride-coating before you eat, something that helps you to avoid this plaque and bacteria from getting on the breakfast food you’re about to eat.

Cons of brushing your teeth after breakfast

Besides that, it is also not recommended to brush your teeth for at least 30 minutes after you just consumed something acidic, like toast, coffee, and orange juice — classic breakfast foods. Brushing your teeth after consuming food can affect your tooth enamel and that’s why studies suggest that brushing before breakfast is better. So make sure to remember this when you wake up tomorrow.

Tips for those who still prefer to brush after breakfast

If brushing your teeth after eating still fits best into your day, at least make sure to follow these tips so you can preserve your dental and oral health:

• Wait between 30 minutes to an hour after eating before you brush.
• To clean your teeth and have a better taste in your mouth, drink a glass of water or chew sugar-free gum.
• Watch out for acidic food and drinks (bread, pastries, dried fruit, citrus fruit, and orange juice) and if you eat them during breakfast, make sure to wait a little while longer before brushing.

When do you usually brush your teeth? Let us know in the comments.