Do you brush your teeth before or after eating breakfast? See what's right

Photo: Freebeck

Understand the best oral health ranking according to experts and why reversing it can pose risks

Part of the routine when you wake up is to eat breakfast and brush your teeth, but what is the correct order? Many people believe that the best solution is to maintain oral hygiene after eating a meal, because eating will leave residue in the area anyway. However, experts explain that it doesn't work that way.

Brushing your teeth before breakfast may be annoying for some. The paste contains sodium lauryl sulfate, a substance that helps foam reach better, but also blocks the reception of sweet flavors by the taste buds. However, this would be the most recommended arrangement for oral health.

According to dentists, the ideal solution is to wait 30 minutes to an hour after eating to brush your teeth. The American Dental Association also recommends that the longest period of time after eating is 60 minutes.

During sleep, bacteria that live in the mouth multiply, which causes the famous “morning breath.” In addition to the bad smell, the high presence of microorganisms in the area leaves the environment unprepared and the teeth more vulnerable to receiving food that would also cause damage to the teeth.

In this way, brushing your teeth before breakfast removes bacterial deposits and covers the tooth enamel with a protective layer to combat acid residue from food. This is especially important to prevent the appearance of infections and caries.

Furthermore, brushing stimulates the production of saliva, which helps digest food during the digestive process. A study conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan in the United States and Western University in Canada showed that saliva production increases for up to 5 minutes after practice, which indicates another benefit of brushing your teeth before breakfast.

However, if you still have the option to clean your mouth after a meal, it is possible to follow some recommendations to avoid greater impacts on your dental health. Because acids in food can temporarily weaken enamel, brushing teeth immediately after eating is prohibited by experts.

This is because at the same time as brushing removes bad residue, brushing will spread some of the bacteria still in the mouth. Brush bristles can also damage weak enamel, putting you at risk of causing tooth erosion.