Should I Brush My Teeth Before or After I Eat Breakfast?

You brush your teeth in the morning, head to the kitchen, and want to enjoy a nice breakfast. But as you’re eating, you might wonder if you’re doing more harm than good.

It seems more logical to brush your teeth after breakfast to remove all food particles from your mouth and ensure your teeth are clean. Yet many dentists recommend brushing your teeth before your first meal of the day.

Why is that? Should you switch these two routines?

Let’s discuss:

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Why You Should Brush Before Breakfast

Brushing in the morning before breakfast is generally considered the best approach to protecting tooth enamel and your overall oral health.

1. Removing Bacteria

While you sleep, the bacteria present in your mouth multiply. Your mouth naturally produces less saliva while you sleep, so there’s nothing to flush away bacteria. It's why most people deal with "morning breath," which quickly goes away after you brush your teeth.

Brushing your teeth before you eat breakfast removes this bacteria from your mouth before you give them "nourishments" through your morning meal.

2. Protecting Your Teeth from Acidic Foods

Most common breakfast foods, like toast or orange juice, are highly acidic, and over time, this can erode tooth enamel. If you brush before eating them, you can add a protective layer of fluoride, which covers your teeth and reduces the impact of these acidic foods.

So while it might not be pleasant to drink some orange juice right after brushing your teeth, it’s a safer approach for your long-term oral health.

3. Increasing Saliva Production

Saliva helps flush out bacteria and food particles, and some people can kick-start their morning saliva production by brushing their teeth.

This also sets the perfect stage to help you break down your breakfast food easily.

Brushing Your Teeth After Breakfast: Can It Be Done Safely?

Sometimes, your daily routine may be simpler to manage if you brush your teeth after your morning meal.

While it’s not ideal, as long as you don’t skip it entirely you can switch the two routines. It’s important to wait around 30 minutes after your meals before brushing your teeth, to avoid spreading the traces of acidic foods all over your teeth with the toothbrush.

You should also drink a tall glass of water or chew some sugar-free gum before you brush, which can help further remove some food particles from the mouth.

Protecting Your Oral Health at Glen Valley Dentistry

 At-home oral hygiene is an essential step toward a healthy smile. 

But for more protection, you should see Dr. Shaun Williams for a check-up and professional dental cleaning, to remove all food particles and bacteria that can still linger in your mouth after brushing.

Schedule a consultation at Glen Valley Dentistry and stop by to access quality preventive oral care.

For more information, call us at (616) 891-8931 today.