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‘Hotly debated’: Brush teeth before or after breakfast?

Figuring out when to brush your teeth in the morning is probably less important than remembering to brush them at all.

Figuring out when to brush your teeth in the morning is probably less important than remembering to brush them at all. Photo: Getty

Every morning we wake up with a bacterial party in full swing in our mouths. There’s the hint of death on our breath.

And there’s that greasy, pasty film covering our teeth that we run our tongue over and tend to think: “Yuck.”

Better head straight to the bathroom and brush those teeth using plenty of toothpaste, right?

Or should you wait to brush your teeth until after your breakfast?

After all, you’re going to fill your mouth with crumbs and (regrettably) sugary cereals anyway.

Does it really matter?

A recent piece in The New York Times says the issue is being “hotly debated” by dentists.

Dr Apoena de Aguiar Ribeiro, a paediatric dentist and microbiologist at the University of North Carolina told the Times: “The truth is that few studies have looked into this question and their results have been mixed and limited, so there isn’t a definitive answer.”

It’s not simply a question of what works best to minimise plaque-causing bacteria, but what minimises potential damage to the teeth.

Professor David J. Manton, Professor of Paediatric Dentistry, UMCG, Groningen, The Netherlands, and professorial fellow at Melbourne Dental School, told The New Daily:

“I think the NYT is correct – the evidence isn’t there, and it would be tremendously difficult to do a study.

“My feeling is that the important issue is that people clean their teeth twice per day with a fluoridated toothpaste.”

He said that brushing before or after breakfast “probably doesn’t matter” – although he suggested we should brush after the evening meal, “so that you go to bed with clean teeth and a bit of fluoride to hang around” in the mouth.

Why brush after breakfast?

When people purposefully brush their teeth after breakfast, they are probably thinking it’s the most efficient thing to do.

Why brush your teeth only to dirty them up again with breakfast?

After all, most people brush their teeth before going to bed, well after having their dinner.

Which, on the face of it, makes sense.

But your mouth is in a different state in the evening compared to the morning, which I’ll explain below.

Some dentists favour brushing after breakfast to get the maximum benefit of fluoride in your toothpaste.

Brushing and then eating afterward will dilute the fluoride’s benefit, and this is why you are advised to spit, not rinse after brushing.

Why brush before breakfast?

Pulling the plug on hole-making acids

If you go straight to the kitchen and throw down a glass of orange juice, a bowl of cereal, some toast with jam or fruit toast, then you are  essentially feeding the bacteria in your mouth, which are at their peak.

Bacteria, interacting with food, release acids which, over time, lead to cavities.

If you brush beforehand, you’re reducing the effectiveness of the cavity-making factory.

“Brushing before breakfast clears that bacteria away, denying them the opportunity to feed on your food,” Dr de Aguiar Ribeiro told the Times.

Get the saliva going

We tend to wake up with a dry mouth, and this favours bacterial breeding. During the day, when we’re awake, we don’t let our mouths dry out.

The best reason to chew sugar-free gum is that it produces saliva which is highly protective of teeth.

Brushing your teeth is akin to waking up your salivary glands.

A small 2018 study of adults aged 60 and older found that “salivary flow rates increased during, and for up to five minutes following” teeth being brushed.

How is saliva protective? Because it contains bicarbonate, which neutralises acids that have accumulated overnight.

It’s also thought that saliva replaces some of the minerals that bacteria consumed while you were sleeping.

An easier habit in the morning 

Morning can be a mad time, especially if you have a family.

Getting out of bed and brushing your teeth soon after is an easier habit to follow than a last-minute brush before heading out the door.

Less destructive of your teeth

Brushing your teeth immediately after breakfast potentially means you’re scrubbing the acids typically found in breakfast foods into your teeth, and damaging the enamel on the surface of your teeth.

Studies show that it takes at least 30 minutes for saliva to counterbalance the acid attack and restore a neutral pH in the mouth.

So to reduce the risk of damaging your teeth’s enamel you need to wait 30 to 60 minutes before brushing.

Which is fine if you have the time to wait in the morning.

Of course, you could brush your teeth before breakfast. Then take a toothbrush to work and give them a second going over.

How many of us will go for that idea? Fewer than those saints who remember to floss.

And if you’re keen to know how best to brush your teeth, see here.

Topics: Health
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