Should you brush before or after breakfast?

Robina Yaseen
4 min readJan 31, 2021
Photo by Diana Polekhina on Unsplash

Should you brush before or after breakfast? This scientific and medical debate continues for many years and it’s the most important question of this modern era. Generally, the dentist advises brushing two times a day, brushing your teeth in the morning and before sleeping. The dentist recommends that you should brush your teeth for 2 minutes. It will keep your teethes healthy and strong. Brushing in the right way will protect the enamel of teeth and make them shiny.

Whenever you eat anything then some particles of food will remain in your mouth that’s why it is necessary to keep your teeth clean. If you don’t brush your teeth then unhygienic conditions cause some serious diseases and this may lead to oral infections. Many gum diseases like Periodontitis, Cavities, and Gingivitis are occurred due to poor hygiene conditions.

Periodontitis is a very common disease that is due to poor oral hygiene conditions. You may notice swollen gums, bad breath, blood pitting, and pus between gums and teeth. You should maintain good oral hygiene conditions to avoid periodontitis.

Cavities are also known as tooth decay that turned out is harmful. It may occur when a food particle, acid, and any bacteria formed a layer on your teeth and known as plaque. A plaque may permanently damage the enamel of the tooth. Gingivitis is an inflammation of gums and caused by poor hygienic conditions. Bacteria in a mouth may result in plaque. This plaque may be causing bleeding and swollen gums.

Be true to your teeth and they won’t be false to you. (Soupy Sales)

There are two types of people: — the one who brush before breakfast and the one who brush after breakfast. So here is the question that you should brush your teeth before breakfast or after breakfast. Let’s get into the discussion.

Should you brush before breakfast?

Bacteria are found in the mouth and multiply while you are sleeping that causes plaque (A plaque is a sticky white biofilm that appeared on your teeth). It may lead to bad breath, unpleasant taste, and tooth decay. This situation can be more unpleasant if you eat sugar before sleeping. In this situation, bacteria can multiply faster and increase their production in the mouth that is more dangerous. Saliva production is act as cleaner in the mouth. The production of saliva slows down when you are sleeping that’s why bacteria reproduce easily at night.

When you wake up and brush your teeth early in the morning, it will stop the tooth decay that is caused by bacteria. A plaque is also removed by brushing in the morning. It will also enhance the production rate of saliva and helps in the breakdown of food. The saliva will also protect your teeth from damage. When you use toothpaste that contains fluoride, this will help to protect the enamel of your teeth and coat a protective layer on them. It also acts as a protective barrier against acids that are present in your food.

Should you brush after breakfast?

The food particles and leftovers will remove when you brush your teeth after breakfast, but if you want to brush right after breakfast, then you should wait at least for 30–40 minutes. If you want to brush your teeth after breakfast you should always follow some precautions that will keep your teeth healthy.

Some foods will damage the enamel of your teeth and make them weak. Here are some foods that may be turned out harmful for your teeth if you brush after breakfast:-

· Citrus fruits

· Bread

· Fruit juice

· Dried fruit

· Pastries

You should always eat tooth-friendly breakfast food such as yogurt, whole groan cereals, and omelets with cheese. You should always avoid unhealthy foods such as sugary and fruity juices and may drink milk and water for the breakfast.

Few tips to protect your teeth

If you forget to brush your teeth before breakfast then you should follow these tips:-

1. Wash your teeth with water thoroughly. This will help to remove food particles and bacteria from your mouth.

2. Chew a sugar-free bubble gum that contains xylitol. This will enhance the production of saliva and that will helps in the neutralization of acids.

3. Use an antibacterial mouthwash (without alcohol). It will maintain the pH level within your mouth and remove plaque.

4. You should eat some cheese. It will reduce the pH level of bacterial plaque that will protect from enamel erosion.

5. Always use toothpaste that contains fluoride. This will prevent tooth decay.

If you forget your toothpaste at home while traveling then there are some alternatives to toothpaste. These are activated charcoal, baking soda, and coconut oil. Pure activated charcoal and its products will help to clean your teeth but if you use it regularly then this may damage your teeth. Some toothpaste contains baking soda and this will remove stains and plaque from your teeth but it will not protect the enamel of your teeth. Coconut oil is also known as an antibacterial agent that will kill bacteria that are lived in your mouth. It also remove plaque and prevents gum diseases and tooth decay. It is beneficial for you if you use it regularly.

Conclusion

The best time to brush your teeth is in the morning before breakfast. Generally, this is the best option to clean your teeth and keep your smile healthy. Brush your teeth for two minutes and this will help to remove dirty and yellow plaque from teethes and kill the bacteria that live in your mouth. But if you want to brush your teeth after breakfast, then you should follow some precautions. Don’t brush immediately after breakfast. You should wait at least 30 minutes to brush your teeth if you intake some acidic foods and drink sugary juices. If you brush right after breakfast this may lead to enamel erosion, and acids can damage your teeth.

--

--