Brushing teeth before or after breakfast: Which is correct?

Brushing in the morning helps remove bacteria in the mouth, creates a protective layer on the teeth and stimulates saliva production. Should I brush my teeth before breakfast or after breakfast?

Each person will have a reasonable explanation for choosing to brush their teeth before or after breakfast. Many people think that brushing teeth after breakfast is reasonable. Because after having breakfast, oral hygiene will be more thorough. All the leftover food stuck on the teeth after breakfast will be treated cleanly to start a new day with a clean mouth, fresh breath. Those who have a habit of brushing their teeth before breakfast think that cleaning their teeth before eating will make breakfast more delicious.

From the perspective of a researcher, Professor Marc Tennant of Winthrop University (USA) once shared with the Huffington Post that: “If you’re comfortable with brushing your teeth before breakfast, stick with it. And vice versa, brushing your teeth after eating breakfast will make you feel better, so just do it. Brushing your teeth is to get rid of the bad bacteria that are growing in your mouth, so it’s essential. The most important thing is to brush your teeth. Before or after breakfast is up to you.”

However, as recommended by dentists and experts in health care People should brush their teeth before eating breakfast. This is the most reasonable and scientific dental care process. Should brush teeth at least 2 minutes before breakfast to freshen breath and clean to start breakfast more delicious. The reason is:

Eliminate bacteria in the mouth

In the process of sleeping for more than 8 hours at night, the process of saliva secretion in the oral cavity is slowed down, retained in the oral cavity longer than during the day. Saliva contains a protein component, so when it is trapped, it will ferment, causing bacteria in the oral cavity to increase significantly. This is the reason why your breath smells bad when you wake up in the morning.

Brushing helps create plaque to protect teeth

These bacteria are also involved in the conversion of sugars and carbohydrates into acids that attack the gums and tooth enamel, leading to gingivitis and tooth decay. So brushing before breakfast not only helps remove plaque and bacteria from your teeth, but it also helps coat enamel with a protective layer against acids in foods.

Stimulating saliva secretion

Brushing your teeth before breakfast is also an effective way to stimulate saliva production. Research shows that after brushing teeth, the amount of saliva secreted in the mouth can increase in 5 minutes. This is beneficial because saliva will help break down food and kill harmful bacteria in the mouth naturally.

After eating breakfast, brushing your teeth is at risk of making your teeth covered with acidic foods, which weakens tooth enamel, easily leading to tooth decay. Some typical types that can cause this problem are: Juice, especially orange juice, dried fruit, bread, cakes,…

Therefore, it is recommended to brush your teeth at least 2 minutes before breakfast with a fluoride toothpaste. It is best not to brush your teeth right after a meal, but to wait at least 30 minutes for saliva to have time to restore the enamel mineral layer. To clean your teeth after a meal, you can chew sugar-free gum. In addition, rinsing with water after meals also reduces the effect of acids on teeth, thereby neutralizing the pH in the oral cavity back to normal levels faster.