The Perfect Time To Brush Teeth In The Morning
I get asked this question a lot: “Should I brush my teeth before or after eating breakfast?”
I will give 2 answers: the practical answer every dentist wants people to hear and the realistic answer most of us follow. Each of us have a morning routine when waking up and getting out the door. Some people get to the gym and others are getting kids ready for school. It is important to remember that the decisions we make in the morning will have a major impact on our oral hygiene. First, if you do not eat breakfast (solid food), then you should reconsider, because breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
The correct answer to this question is: Yes, you need to brush before eating breakfast. Here are some of the reasons to defend the practical answer.
Bacteria starts to metabolize sugars into acids almost instantly. Throughout the night your mouth becomes dry and your saliva amount has dropped. This is perfect timing for the acids to soften the enamel on your teeth. The goal of brushing your teeth in the morning is to clear the bacteria that creates the acids. These acids cause cavities and other dental diseases.
As mentioned above, acidic foods soften enamel and makes your teeth vulnerable. Toothbrush abrasion and erosion are becoming increasingly common so we need to pay better attention. Scrubbing on your teeth right after your enamel has been softened up by something like orange juice will lead to toothbrush abrasion and increased sensitivity of your teeth. According to the Mayo Clinic, if you've consumed anything acidic, you should avoid brushing your teeth for at least 30 minutes.
Your salivary calcium levels are lowest in the morning, which helps even the acidity in your mouth caused by bacteria and dietary acids. The enamel on your teeth becomes vulnerable when in contact with these acids; enamel demineralization occurs much more rapidly than remineralization. Brushing your teeth before breakfast will jumpstart the salivary flow that was reduced overnight and introduces fluoride into the mix, which helps protect your teeth from the acids.
Here are some reasons to defend the realistic answer.
Your alarm clock goes off and you have 10 minutes to wash up, which includes brushing your teeth for 2 minutes, get dressed and eat. The simple thing to do is skip brushing your teeth. This is okay, but do not make it a habit.
The kids wake you up in the morning wanting breakfast immediately. To stop the complaining, you make them breakfast and decide to nibble on some food first before brushing your teeth.
The bottom line is: DON’T BE LAZY! A lot of people ask if you brush before do you also have to brush again after eating. If you brushed before breakfast, all you really need to do afterwards is clear residual food (especially sugars) from your mouth. You can do this by rinsing afterwards (ideally with an alkaline mouthwash to re-balance oral pH) and then doing a quick cleaning to remove food stuck between teeth.