Should you brush your teeth before or after breakfast?

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Experts recommend brushing before breakfast to help remove overnight plaque and bacteria, creating a protective barrier for your enamel before you eat. Additionally, brushing stimulates saliva production, which aids in the break of food. Brushing right after breakfast, especially if you’ve consumed acidic foods like citrus or coffee, can weaken enamel, increasing the risk of damage. It's generally recommended to brush before eating or to wait at least 30 minutes after a meal to avoid this.

Source

Sahoo SR, Nandini DB, Basandi PS, Selvamani M, Donoghue M. A Comparison of Pre- and Postbreakfast Tooth Brushing in Caries Prevention through the Estimation of Streptococcus mutans Counts: A Prospective Clinical and Microbiological Study. J Microsc Ultrastruct. 2022 May 23;10(4):168-173. doi: 10.4103/jmau.jmau_90_21. PMID: 36687322; PMCID: PMC9846921.

Additional Reading

https://betterreport.com/should-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/

https://www.healthline.com/health/should-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast#:~:text=Takeaway,30%20minutes%20before%20you%20brush.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/01/well/live/brushing-teeth-breakfast.html

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