Oral Care: Should You Brush Your Teeth Before Or After Breakfast?

People have differing opinions on so many things - and one such thing is about the best time to brush your teeth. While one group says that brushing before breakfast is ideal, the other says after breakfast is best.

And today, we are going to settle this once and for all! Let's take a look.

Should You Brush Your Teeth Before Or After Breakfast?

For most people, brushing their teeth every day at the same time seems to be the best way to establish a regular brushing habit [1]. Brushing every morning, followed by brushing before bedtime, seems to be the most common schedule. This schedule promotes the habit of brushing your teeth regularly.

Experts claim that brushing your teeth before eating breakfast greatly improves your tooth enamel and overall oral health [2]. Despite the fact that no one wants to have their idli and sambar or roti and paneer when fluoride is still in their mouth, it may be best for your teeth to do so.

Brushing Your Teeth Before Breakfast

In fact, there may actually be a scientific explanation for this one. As you sleep, plaque-producing bacteria multiply in your mouth. This is one of the reasons why you may wake up with a weird taste in your mouth or bad breath in the morning.

By thoroughly cleaning your teeth with fluoride toothpaste, you remove plaque and bacteria and coat your enamel with a protective barrier against acid [3].

When you consume something acidic, such as toast, citrus, and coffee, you should refrain from brushing your teeth for at least 30 minutes after eating. Brushing your teeth first thing in the morning also helps to stimulate saliva production [4].

You will also notice that saliva production increases for up to five minutes after brushing. Saliva helps break down your food and kills harmful bacteria in your mouth naturally after brushing.

Brushing Your Teeth After Breakfast

While you may brush after breakfast if that is what works best for your morning routine, brushing right after breakfast may actually cover your teeth with acidic remnants, which weakens your enamel [5].

Brushing your teeth right after breakfast may affect your teeth negatively. Waiting 30 minutes to an hour after eating is the best way to protect your teeth and avoid damaging them [6].

According to experts, you should wait 60 minutes after eating before brushing, especially if you ate acidic foods. After eating, you should drink water or chew sugar-free gum to help clean your teeth.

On A Final Note...

It is a fact that most people do not brush very well. If you want to protect your tooth enamel, brushing your teeth right after you wake up is better than brushing them after breakfast. Try to wait 30 to 60 minutes before brushing your teeth after breakfast if you need to brush your teeth.

In any case, brushing your teeth in the morning, whenever you are able to do so, is better than not brushing them at all.