Should you brush teeth before of after breakfast? Dentist weighs in

Maintaining good oral hygiene is essential for not only having an attractive smile, but also to avoid health problems.

Our mouth is one of the highest areas for germs and bacteria, making its care absolutely fundamental. Now when it comes to brushing teeth, many feel as though it’s crucial before breakfast, while others do it after.

So what one is it? According to doctor Maria Rubio, a dentist at a clinic in Madrid, Spain, there is a better option, which she revealed in a recent TikTok post.

In the video, which garnered over 802,000 views, the oral health expert begins by posing the famous question: “When is it better to brush, before or after breakfast?”

According to the dentist, the answer is clear and relates to the bacterial activity in the mouth during the night.

She explained that while we sleep, our mouth experiences a reduction in saliva flow, allowing bacteria to grow more freely.

The dentist continued: “At night, our saliva flow is much lower, and that will make it so that in the morning when we wake up, bacteria are at their peak.”

This bacteria feeds on food residues we ingest, producing acids which can damage dental enamel and promote lesions such as dreaded cavities.

Therefore, the oral health expert warned having breakfast without eliminating these bacteria can enhance their activity and increase the risk of damaging our teeth.

“If we have breakfast, we feed those bacteria, making them much more active and generating acids that will be harmful to our teeth, thus promoting lesions like cavities,” said the dentist.

She concluded: “Therefore, it’s much better to brush before breakfast.”

And if we brush our teeth before breakfast, we eliminate bacteria accumulated during the night to protect our teeth from acids they could produce when coming into contact with food.

Since the video was shared, many people flocked to the comments section to share their thoughts. One said: “Of course, before as soon as I wake up.”

While another added: “Why do we do everything wrong throughout our lives.” Then a third admitted: “All my life I have been told to brush my teeth after meals.”