Should you brush your teeth before or after breakfast?
Dr Mark Porter settles a family debate of when we should brush our teeth in the mornings.
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Dr Mark Porter settles a family debate of when we should brush our teeth in the mornings.
Can you please help settle a family argument: should you brush your teeth before or after breakfast?
There are arguments for doing both but the consensus is to brush before breakfast so that you reduce the amount of oral bacteria prior to consuming food such as bread and marmalade, and sugary drinks like orange juice or sweetened tea/coffee, which the bugs break down into tooth-damaging acids.
The downside is that you then risk leaving particles of food in between your teeth that might stay there for hours giving the bacteria time to recover, and more fuel when they do.
The belt-and-braces approach would be to brush before and after, but best to wait 30 minutes afterwards, as some foods and drinks can temporarily soften the enamel on your teeth.
Have you got a medical question for Dr Mark Porter? He can’t reply individually, but will respond to questions on this page*
Email drmark@saga.co.uk.
*Always talk to your own GP
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