Visiting the dentist regularly is important. When we visit our dentist, we can usually contact via email or call them for an appointment. During our appointment, we often hear our dentist remind us to brush at least twice a day. Even kids toothpaste commercials sing it, brush in the morning, afternoon, and evening. But should I brush teeth before or after breakfast?

Brushing In The Morning

Before breakfast. If you are the type of person who, after jumping out of bed, goes straight to the bathroom and does a morning ritual that includes brushing teeth, then good for you. Because saliva, the natural defender and cleaner of our mouth, decreases during our sleep, plaques and bacteria start to grow and multiply. So it is good that the first thing we do in the morning is to brush and floss our teeth.

After breakfast. But if you are really hungry when you wake up and you can’t resist the donut or pancake on the table then, by all means, eat your breakfast first! Just don’t forget to brush and floss your teeth afterward. And afterward means 30 minutes to 1 hour after eating. Yes! Why? Because the acid in your food or drink weakens the enamel or the surface of your teeth, so brushing at once after eating will strip it away even more. However, if you give it some time and let saliva coat your teeth first, your enamel ‘remineralizes’ and covers your teeth with the body’s natural protector.

Tips on how to brush teeth

brush teeth before or after breakfastBrush twice, floss once. Brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing every day helps us maintain removing food debris and plaque that cause tooth decay.

Don’t rinse after brushing. Yes! You read it right. After brushing, spit out the bubbles and toothpaste from your mouth and do not gargle and rinse after. Let the fluoride from your toothpaste penetrate your teeth, and if you rinse, you are also rinsing the fluoride away.

Use mouthwash. The same idea goes for the mouthwash. Dentists may or may not have told you that you shouldn’t use mouthwash immediately after brushing since it will strip away the fluoride you got from the toothpaste. If you really want to use it, the best time to use mouthwash is 30 minutes to 1 hour after eating your lunch.