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Brush teeth before or after breakfast?
- Thread starter jotun?
- Start date
Lately it's been before, since I find it easier to drop by Dunkin Donuts for something quick to eat at my desk at work to tide me over until lunch. But for most of my life I've brushed my teeth and showered after eating breakfast at home.
After, don't see much of a point in brushing my teeth if I'm just going to down some breakfast five minutes later.
For a short period of time I thought like the OP and waited until after breakfast to brush.
What changed my mind is realizing a lot of what you eat will soften your enamel and if you brush right after you do more harm than good. (A lot of people drink orange juice in the morning for example.) So why don't I just wait after breakfast then brush? If I wait after breakfast, I'm essentially piling fuel on top of the bacteria and plaque that built up over the night and letting them feed for an extra half an hour. No thanks.
So instead now I brush away the plaque and bacteria in the morning with fluoride toothpaste, eat breakfast, then, if I can, I'll give it a light brush some time after every meal without toothpaste or just a little; at least half an hour afterwards. My teeth also stain easy so it also helps with that. Coffee especially.
What changed my mind is realizing a lot of what you eat will soften your enamel and if you brush right after you do more harm than good. (A lot of people drink orange juice in the morning for example.) So why don't I just wait after breakfast then brush? If I wait after breakfast, I'm essentially piling fuel on top of the bacteria and plaque that built up over the night and letting them feed for an extra half an hour. No thanks.
So instead now I brush away the plaque and bacteria in the morning with fluoride toothpaste, eat breakfast, then, if I can, I'll give it a light brush some time after every meal without toothpaste or just a little; at least half an hour afterwards. My teeth also stain easy so it also helps with that. Coffee especially.
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First thing after getting out of bed. I ain't eating anything through that putridness. Hell, if I wake up in the middle of the night I brush my teeth. Morning breath is awful.
Before. Can't stand morning breath for more than a second.
Also you're not supposed to brush directly after a meal, ain't healthy for the teeth.
Also you're not supposed to brush directly after a meal, ain't healthy for the teeth.
Bingo.
This shit aint about "but muh breakfast tastebuds" its about cleaning all the acid thats built up overnight and its killing your teeth
Everyone keeps saying this but not saying how long after a meal you actually can brush your teeth. Genuinely interested to hear the answer.
After... What's wrong with you people doing it before you eat...
Edit: Did some reading, see the argument for why you should brush before eating. I'll rescind my previous statement. Eating food with freshly brushed teeth is still an unpleasant experience in my opinion. I don't actually eat breakfast so it doesn't really matter to me either way.
Edit: Did some reading, see the argument for why you should brush before eating. I'll rescind my previous statement. Eating food with freshly brushed teeth is still an unpleasant experience in my opinion. I don't actually eat breakfast so it doesn't really matter to me either way.
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Before.
It's always sad with these threads how much there is ignorance, and how the OP often is part of that ignorance. Like, if you are aware of the reasons why it's good to brush before and still choose to brush after, then fine, but a lot of people don't seem to be aware of it at all.
The most embarrassing post I've seen in one of these threads was someone comparing brushing your teeth before eating to using toilet paper to wipe your ass before shitting. Fortunately it's not that bad in this thread.
It's always sad with these threads how much there is ignorance, and how the OP often is part of that ignorance. Like, if you are aware of the reasons why it's good to brush before and still choose to brush after, then fine, but a lot of people don't seem to be aware of it at all.
The most embarrassing post I've seen in one of these threads was someone comparing brushing your teeth before eating to using toilet paper to wipe your ass before shitting. Fortunately it's not that bad in this thread.
It doesn't make sense if you don't understand the point. The point isn't to get the food out of your mouth, but this:
These poll numbers are alarming.
There are countless reasons brushing right when you wake up is the only correct answer:
1) Less likely to forget/get distracted
2) Getting rid of the acid buildup from overnight
3) Getting rid of morning breath
4) Avoiding damaging your teeth by brushing immediately after you eat
Also, to anyone concerned about ruining the taste of things, can you not wait 20 minutes after you wake up before you need to eat? Hell by the time you've showered that issue is completely irrelevant.
There are countless reasons brushing right when you wake up is the only correct answer:
1) Less likely to forget/get distracted
2) Getting rid of the acid buildup from overnight
3) Getting rid of morning breath
4) Avoiding damaging your teeth by brushing immediately after you eat
Also, to anyone concerned about ruining the taste of things, can you not wait 20 minutes after you wake up before you need to eat? Hell by the time you've showered that issue is completely irrelevant.
All of this. Also, I feel so vindicated by this thread as no one in my circle of friends believed me this was the way to go! (Granted, while my dentist did recommend it, they didn't do a good job explaining it lol)
I usually do after, but I'm assuming that I have some time to wait after eating since brushing immediately after isnt good apparently.
If I know I have to rush out after eating ill brush before.
You people who brush both before and after oughta be running things.
If I know I have to rush out after eating ill brush before.
You people who brush both before and after oughta be running things.
I do both, have to brush my teeth first thing in the morning. Walk the dog, drink a glass of water then coffee plus breakfast. As soon as I've had a couple cups of coffee I go brush my teeth again. This has been my routine for like 10 plus years lol
As people have stated and backed with arguments, before is the only correct answer with regards to dental health.
The real question is, shower before brushing teeth or after.
Brushing after shower means you have to wait longer before being able to eat as doing it before showering can knock an easy 15-30 minutes off that 1 hour timer.
However there's always a chance you'll get some water in your mouth from showering so if you do it before showering you might actually get rid of some of the fluoride by accidentally rinsing your mouth in the shower.
Truly a dilemma.
The real question is, shower before brushing teeth or after.
Brushing after shower means you have to wait longer before being able to eat as doing it before showering can knock an easy 15-30 minutes off that 1 hour timer.
However there's always a chance you'll get some water in your mouth from showering so if you do it before showering you might actually get rid of some of the fluoride by accidentally rinsing your mouth in the shower.
Truly a dilemma.
I did it after but I guess I'll change to before after reading this thread. I will say this people are giving dentist too much credit. A reasonable amount of them don't say shit. I always ate food immediately after waking up as a kid and then brushed so I just thought that's was the right way. Feels bad man.
396 dentists on era? 🤔
I'm skeptical it makes much of a difference either way for those who brush well and visit a dentist regularly.
I'm skeptical it makes much of a difference either way for those who brush well and visit a dentist regularly.
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Before just because of timing. If I was waking up earlier and had like an hour to spare before leaving the house I would eat cereal or porridge or something and then do it after. But as it is now I wake up, brush teeth, grab my breakfast biscuits to eat on the drive and head out.
Surprised by the poll result. Eating breakfast with the overnight bacteria and stink is just disgusting. I brush before and rinse after.
I like to eat fish for breakfast. You guys figure it out.
And no, dentists are not universally agreed on how you should do this. Otherwise it wouldn't result in this kind of argument.
And no, dentists are not universally agreed on how you should do this. Otherwise it wouldn't result in this kind of argument.
After. You don't want your breakfast to taste like shit and have residues on you teeth all day long.
I moved to the UK in 2019 ( returned home 2 months ago due to covid and other reasons) and my then dentist told me to brush then wait 30 mins and to flush out with salt and warm water rather than mouthwash. Cant say I've ever had that advice from prior dentists/hygienists.
I always felt like white people brush their teeth after eating breakfast. Would love to see the results of how often people shower on this forum now as well.
The correct order is to brush at night. Brush after waking up to get rid of the bacteria build up overnight, wait a while, then eat. Use mouthwash afterwards if needed. Are y'all telling me if you don't eat in the morning, you won't brush your teeth either?
The correct order is to brush at night. Brush after waking up to get rid of the bacteria build up overnight, wait a while, then eat. Use mouthwash afterwards if needed. Are y'all telling me if you don't eat in the morning, you won't brush your teeth either?
Alright so now I get that brushing after waking up cleans out the shit that accumulates in your mouth overnight. Got it.
How the fuck is that intuitive at all? Like before-brushers in here are coming in like we're the fucking scum of the earth for not figuring this out but dude, I brush and floss at night right before bed. Maybe I just have a different diet or something that affects bacterial activity (or maybe I'm just a gross animal so it doesn't occur to me), but I generally don't feel like my mouth is a den of stink and decay in the morning and I assume that's because I take care of shit the night before. How does it make sense that brushing before is what's important and that brushing after to minimize the amount of time my mouth has food particles in it throughout the day is a bad idea?
And what? If I eat before brushing I'm swallowing all the overnight funk or something? You're telling me I'm not automatically swallowing while I sleep at night?
How the fuck is that intuitive at all? Like before-brushers in here are coming in like we're the fucking scum of the earth for not figuring this out but dude, I brush and floss at night right before bed. Maybe I just have a different diet or something that affects bacterial activity (or maybe I'm just a gross animal so it doesn't occur to me), but I generally don't feel like my mouth is a den of stink and decay in the morning and I assume that's because I take care of shit the night before. How does it make sense that brushing before is what's important and that brushing after to minimize the amount of time my mouth has food particles in it throughout the day is a bad idea?
And what? If I eat before brushing I'm swallowing all the overnight funk or something? You're telling me I'm not automatically swallowing while I sleep at night?
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Rinse your mouth properly after brushing and you'll taste your food just fine. Better than eating straight out of bed.
I don't have breakfast, so before by default, but even if I did it would still be before(and after if I need to refreshen my mouth). The last thing I want is breakfast with janky morning breath. I scrape my tongue so I'm not left with the toothpaste taste afterwards anyways.
Before. I mean, come on. Why would you eat anything with morning mouth flavor all up in there? Clean your mouth, then enjoy a healthy breakfast a few minutes later.
My dentist always told me not to rinse after brushing because it washes away the fluoride.
Interesting. I brush my teeth as one of the first things I do every day. It's my morning routine of getting up, brushing my teeth, pee or poop, take a shower (and in the age of covid, replace taking a shower with washing up/splashing my face/combing my hair). Then I get dressed and proceed onto my day..... and whatever follows follows, breakfast, coffee, lunch, etc.
I'm surprised people get up, do other things like making breakfast or w/e, and then go back to brushing their teeth after those other things.
This is one of those topics though, like wiping your butt, that is deeply personal and so people get into their own ways and then are SHOCKED when other people do it differently and it seems bizarre and scary, and over time you work up justifications for why you do things the "Right way" and not "The wrong way." Brushing your teeth is one of those things, like pooping and wiping your butt, that you do alone and will be heavily influenced by something you learned as a kid.
I'm surprised people get up, do other things like making breakfast or w/e, and then go back to brushing their teeth after those other things.
This is one of those topics though, like wiping your butt, that is deeply personal and so people get into their own ways and then are SHOCKED when other people do it differently and it seems bizarre and scary, and over time you work up justifications for why you do things the "Right way" and not "The wrong way." Brushing your teeth is one of those things, like pooping and wiping your butt, that you do alone and will be heavily influenced by something you learned as a kid.