Brushing Before or After Breakfast

Should I Brush My Teeth Before or After Breakfast?

Tooth Enamel

Enamel is the hardest substance in your body, whose job is to protect your teeth from decay and damage.

Here’s one question! We said enamel is the strongest mineral substance in the body, even stronger than bones, right? But does that mean nothing can damage or erode this hard tissue?!

Enamel has no living cells and cannot regenerate itself! Therefore, various factors can put the health of your tooth enamel in danger and lead to enamel erosion or demineralisation of the enamel.

Dental plaque is one of your teeth’ worst enemies!

Dental Plaque

Almost twenty minutes after eating or drinking something, especially foods and drinks high in sugar, a thin, colourless, sticky film of bacteria begin to form on our teeth. This sticky coating is called “dental plaque”.

The dental plaque will also begin to form on your teeth within 4 to 12 hours after brushing your teeth. The bacteria in our mouth combine with food particles, acid, and saliva and form this sticky substance.

Because plaque contains bacteria, it must be removed from the surface of your teeth; otherwise, it will produce acids and attack the enamel.

Eating high in citric acid fruits can also cause enamel erosion. (oranges, grapefruits, lime, and lemons) Drinking orange juice is also included.

If you do not remove this sticky coating from your teeth regularly, it will accumulate and put the health of your teeth and gums at risk. Plaque buildup can lead to tooth decay, cavities, bad breath, and gum disease.

How To Remove Plaque and Protect Enamel

Now that you know how harmful this biofilm can be to your oral health, it’s time to look for ways to control plaque buildup.

According to the American Dental Association, proper flossing and brushing your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush for two whole minutes is crucial to having a healthy mouth.

When Is The Best Time To Brush Your Teeth?

The question many of our patients ask is:

1-“we know that brushing teeth twice a day is a must, but when is the best time to brush our teeth?”

2-“Are we brushing our teeth at the right part of our morning routine?”

 You already know that you should brush your teeth before going to bed at night. However, how about when it comes to brushing teeth in the morning? Does timing matter here?

According to some experts, it’s better to brush your teeth before eating breakfast.

Why?

Think about the morning breath and the unpleasant taste you experience when you wake up. Have you ever wondered the reason?

You experience an unpleasant odour and taste in the morning because plaque-causing bacteria in your mouth multiply when you are sleeping.

Saliva is considered a rinsing agent which helps wash food debris left in your mouth away from your teeth after every meal and keep your mouth clean. However, saliva production decreases when you sleep, causing an increase in the number of harmful bacteria in your mouth and, therefore, bad breath in the morning.

When you brush your teeth first thing in the morning, you wash that plaque and bacteria out of your teeth. Brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste before breakfast will also act as a protective barrier for your enamel against acid in the food you are eating.

Plus, brushing your teeth after you wake up and before eating breakfast will cause your saliva production to have a boost.

Don’t Brush Immediately After Eating

If you want to brush after breakfast, you should wait at least 30 minutes, especially if you have had acidic foods, such as toast, citrus, fruit juices, and coffee.

By brushing your teeth immediately after breakfast, you are weakening your enamel which has already been softened by the acidic food you eat for breakfast.

Brushing Teeth After The First Meal In The Morning

Many people brush their teeth in the morning right after breakfast and are unwilling to change their regular brushing habits. If you are one, you can still brush your teeth after your breakfast, but follow this general rule of thumb to avoid damaging your teeth.

Brushing immediately after the following foods and drinks will increase your risk of enamel damage. Wait at least half an hour and then brush your teeth if you eat the foods we mention here:

• pastries
• bread
• dried fruit
• citrus fruit
• orange juice

The American Dental Association: wait 1 hour after eating (especially acidic foods) and then brush your teeth.

You can chew sugar-free gum or drink some water to clean your mouth before brushing your teeth.

Oral Health Tips

The bottom line is flossing once a day and brushing your teeth twice a day, whether before or after breakfast, are vital to having healthy teeth and gums.

• Make sure you brush your teeth correctly and for two minutes.
• Visit your dentist every six months to ensure dental health.
• Use fluoridated toothpaste to prevent cavities.
• Rinse your mouth with mouthwash to reduce the risk of dental issues

Pure Dentistry

Have any other questions or concerns? We provide our patients with high-quality dental care in Brisbane and are open 7 days a week.

Give your Brisbane Dentist a call on Pure Dentistry at 07 3343 4869.