Should I brush my Teeth before or after Breakfast
After our popular Facebook poll, we realised here at Sloan Dental that most of you are doing it wrong!!!
Brushing should always be done BEFORE breakfast
Why is this:
Bacteria begin to metabolize sugars into acids almost instantly. Bacterial biofilms in your mouth have been maturing overnight in a reduced saliva environment gearing up for sugars in the morning. Brushing your teeth before breakfast makes far more sense than brushing after they have already soaked up sugars to produce acids that cause cavities. How much damage the bacteria cause is dependent on the quality of bacteria in your mouth (some people hit the lottery and have great oral bacteria).
Salivary calcium levels are lowest in the morning putting your teeth are at a much higher risk of acidic damage from bacteria and dietary acids in the morning than at any other time. The process of enamel demineralization occurs much more rapidly than remineralization, so it is extremely important to take steps to limit the extent of demineralization throughout the day so your teeth are able to recover. If you brush before breakfast, it kickstarts salivary flow that has been reduced overnight and introduces in fluoride to the mix which will help buffer your teeth against acids.
If you consume, acidic foods or drinks they can soften your enamel and make you teeth more vulnerable to toothbrush abrasion if you brush immediately afterwards. Toothbrush abrasion and erosion are becoming increasingly common so we need to pay greater mind. Scrubbing on your teeth right after your enamel has been softened up by something like OJ will lead to toothbrush abrasion and increased sensitivity of your teeth.
Additional pointers:
If you are concerned about how the toothpaste will impact how your breakfast tastes, you can use an SLS-free toothpaste since the SLS, which is added to help your toothpaste suds up, alters taste sensation
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 an on teeth.
Here at Sloan Dental our friendly team of 9 dentists and support staff are always happy to answer any dental questions you may have at our two practices in Bishopton and Carfin. Contact us today and arrange your appointment.
