Do you know why experts recommend brushing your teeth before breakfast?
Healthy teeth are crucial to our overall well-being, but there are many misconceptions and myths about proper oral care. One of the wrong habits that many people practice is brushing their teeth right after breakfast. A seemingly harmless habit, but dentists around the world warn that it can be a real threat to your oral health.
From a scientific point of view, brushing your teeth before breakfast is supposed to be better, some experts say. It is better for tooth enamel and overall oral health.
Why is it harmful to brush your teeth immediately after breakfast?
According to the information provided to us Healthline, there is a significant need to change the usual habits in brushing the teeth, especially after breakfast. Although many of us instinctively reach for the toothbrush immediately after a meal, dentists warn that this habit can harm our oral health.
"Brushing your teeth before breakfast not only helps remove plaque from your teeth, but it also stimulates the production of saliva that helps kill bacteria in your mouth," says Dr. Sam Jetwa, vice-president of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, reports The New York Post.
Plaque-causing bacteria actively reproduce during the night, resulting in a bad taste in the mouth and unpleasant morning breath. A 2018 study found that saliva production increases five minutes after brushing, further pointing to the importance of timing this routine activity.
Explanation: While you sleep, the bacteria in your mouth multiply. This is also the cause of morning breath. Brushing removes plaque and bacteria, and toothpaste protects tooth enamel from the acid in food. Washing also accelerates the secretion of saliva, which also protects the teeth – it helps break down food and destroys harmful bacteria in the mouth – and together with toothpaste, this effect should last longer.
In order to preserve tooth enamel, brushing your teeth before breakfast is recommended as a better option. As Dr Alan Clarke, lead dentist at Paste Dental Clinic in Belfast, Northern Ireland, points out, fluoride toothpastes can help fight acids found in food. Brushing your teeth before a meal can effectively remove these bacteria and neutralize the acidic environment that can damage enamel.
But not all of us want to drink coffee or freshly squeezed orange juice with the taste of toothpaste still in our mouths.
If brushing your teeth after breakfast suits your routine better, go for it. But with one caveat! Wait at least half an hour, preferably an hour.
Acidic foods and drinks dissolve tooth enamel - and after every meal, an acidic environment is created in the oral cavity. If you brush your teeth immediately after eating, the surface, i.e. the tooth enamel, is scratched and the tooth can be damaged.
Deciding on the right time to brush your teeth can make all the difference in preserving your smile and long-term oral health.
What to do if you don't have time to wait after breakfast?
For example, you don't eat breakfast at all. Of course, in this case you should also brush your teeth thoroughly.
"If you don't brush your teeth because of lack of time or because you're worried about damaging your tooth enamel, and you go to the office or classroom after breakfast with toothpaste on a conveyor belt, you're also damaging your teeth. says Berlin dentist Christian Bolstorf. "Dental plaque is then formed, the harmful effect of which is long-term.
If you don't like the idea of brushing before breakfast, experts recommend at least rinsing your mouth thoroughly with a mouthwash after breakfast to neutralize the acid a bit. Then, brush your teeth thoroughly. Rinsing with a mouthwash is also recommended if you brush your teeth before breakfast.