One of the most ferocious battles of everyday life takes place in the bathroom. Is it better to brush your teeth right after you wake up, or wait and brush after you eat breakfast? This is a question many would lay down their lives for. Let's look at this issue from different angles.
Common sense says: clean what you dirty
The American Dental Association recommends cleaning your teeth twice a day for 2 minutes, the president of the Czech Dental Chamber has a similar opinion on cleaning, recommending that you spend a total of at least 5 minutes on your teeth every day. The official recommendations do not directly state the best time for brushing, but life has taught us that we should do it once in the morning and a second time in the evening before going to bed. What life clearly has not taught us anymore, however, is how to deal with the timing in relation to breakfast.
For many of us, it's natural that we can still somehow manage breakfast with that unpopular "morning breath" and only do the final cleansing, including brushing our teeth, on the subsequent trip to work or school. This removes the breakfast residue from the surface of the teeth, refreshes the breath and lets us enter the day with a clean slate. But is this really the best way?
Dental authorities recommend: do not brush immediately after eating
Especially if you have just consumed typically acidic foods, such as fruit and fruit juices, tea with lemon or coffee. As these foods are traditionally part of breakfast, this recommendation applies specifically to breakfast. Subsequent brushing of the teeth is not recommended, as this could damage tooth enamel.
Dr Mitali Hariawala, vice president of Virtual Dental Care, explains that although tooth enamel is very strong, it is more damaged by the acidic environment. Similarly, the renowned Mayo Clinic recommends avoiding brushing your teeth immediately after consuming acidic foods or drinks.
The American Dental Association also takes a critical stance on brushing immediately after eating, recommending a time gap of at least 60 minutes between meals, especially in the case of acidic beverages.
How do you deal with it?
As it turns out, scrubbing your teeth right after finishing breakfast is not the healthiest way to care for your tooth enamel. But should half the population learn new habits because of it?
Quite possibly it's not necessary at all, just a slight adjustment to the stereotypes:
I brush my teeth before breakfast! In this case, you are in line with the recommendations of the world's dental authorities. If you want to start the day with fresh breath, you can rinse your teeth with mouthwash after breakfast or use sugar-free chewing gum.
I brush my teeth after breakfast! Then you should allow at least 30, preferably 60 minutes between breakfast and brushing your teeth. If you don't have time to do this during the morning, you should deprive breakfast of typically acidic foods such as fruit and fruit juices, time with lemon or coffee.
It looks like this dental battle was won by those who brush immediately after waking up. However, even post-breakfast cleaners don't have to grieve - they just need to keep a time gap between breakfast and brushing, or if their breakfast doesn't consist of typically acidic foods such as fruit and fruit juices, tea with lemon or even coffee. As long as your breakfast table includes foods that are not acidic (for example, scrambled eggs with sliced vegetables and a slice of wholemeal bread), you can brush your teeth after breakfast without worrying about damaging tooth enamel.
But the most important thing is to remember to brush your teeth and not skip it. In fact, regular brushing is the least we can do for our teeth. Of course, don't forget to choose the right and suitable toothbrush. You can try the most gentle toothbrush recommended by many, LYSS. As dental specialist Roman Šmucler says: "People with healthy teeth not only live longer, but also have better aesthetics and save a lot of money."
