Should I Brush My Teeth Before or After Eating Breakfast?

Many people would say they like to brush their teeth after they eat their breakfast as they don’t like to have food stuck in their teeth when they leave the house. However, it would surprise some people to know that it is beneficial to your oral health to brush your teeth before your breakfast. The main reason that we brush our teeth is to remove plaque. Plaque is a material that coats your teeth and it contains harmful bacteria that breaks down the sugar in our foods to form acids. These acids can damage the enamel which is the hard protective layer of our teeth.

Overnight, plaque builds up on our teeth. When we sleep, our mouths produce less saliva because they are inactive. This allows bacteria to multiply and bind to your teeth. When eating your breakfast you are feeding the bacteria sugars which they will break down into acids, damaging your enamel

Something that a lot of people don’t realise is that some cereals are very high in sugar. If you combine this with a high sugar drink like fresh orange juice, you can alter the pH in your mouth making it more acidic, leading to weakened tooth enamel. If you brush straight after you eat you could be scraping off the essential enamel. Using a fluoride toothpaste before you eat will give an extra layer of protection against the acid attack.

If you still feel like it fits your routine better to brush your teeth after you eat, wait at least half an hour before doing so. At this point the pH in your mouth will have returned to normal.