Should you brush your teeth before or after breakfast? Even the dentists disagree

Everyone has their own morning routine. In the best case, brushing your teeth is also part of it. But when is the best time to do this? Should you have breakfast first or get your teeth in shape right away? Not an easy question, two experts explain in the New York Times. Here’s a decision making tool for you:

Let’s start with Why you have to reach for the toothbrush first. Saliva production in the mouth is inhibited overnight, which pleases the bacteria. These multiply in the oral cavity, causing bad breath in the morning, Dr. Apoena de Aguiar Ribeiro, pediatric dentist and professor of microbiology, says on the “NYT.”

Furthermore, breakfast for many people largely consists of sweet carbohydrates (for example muesli) or sweet fruit. The latter is nutritionally healthy, but the bacteria in the mouth do not distinguish between table sugar and fructose. So if you add sugar and carbs to a mouthful of bacteria, they explode.

During this process, acids are released, which in turn attack the teeth. So if you brush your teeth before eating, you can slow down the bacterial culture, which greatly weakens the effect. In addition, saliva production is stimulated when brushing your teeth, which strengthens the protection of your teeth during the day.

So who is disciplined (two full minutes and thoroughly) brushing your teeth should be preferable to this variant, as the spread of bacteria in the mouth can be stopped as soon as you get up. who else extensive breakfast outdoors, while commuting or at work, you should also brush your teeth at home. Because the dentist advises: “Brush your teeth before you go out, otherwise you won’t brush them at all.”

Incidentally, it makes sense to keep some distance between brushing your teeth and the first meal, purely for reasons of taste. But the protection of the teeth is also increased if the effect of the fluoride in the toothpaste can fully develop.

Let’s move on to the other variant, brushing your teeth after breakfast. “In reality, most people don’t brush their teeth thoroughly enough,” says Dr. Carlos Gonzalez-Cabezas, a professor of oral hygiene. As a result, many bacteria remain in the mouth and multiply even better after breakfast throughout the day. That’s why it makes sense to do the damage first and then brush your teeth – that’s how your teeth are in a better starting position.

In addition, the ingredients of the toothpaste – for example the fluorides – could fully develop their protective effect before lunch.

So if you eat your breakfast quickly (within 10 to 15 minutes) and at home, you can also brush your teeth after breakfast. This way you get rid of all leftovers and the toothpaste protects your teeth better.

However, caution is advised: if you drink a lot of coffee or orange juice at breakfast, you should wait about 30 minutes before brushing your teeth. The acid in the drinks makes the teeth particularly sensitive and brushing your teeth would put extra strain on them.