Do you know how to brush your teeth properly? The debate of the correct timing for brushing your teeth continues with many still wondering which one is right. The big question is, do you brush your teeth before or after breakfast? Should one jump out of bed with a toothbrush close at hand or should one brush the teeth immediately after breakfast? Normally, common sense would convince you that brushing your teeth immediately after breakfast is perfectly okay as you will clean off all the food particles from your meal.
While all this may be true, the matter should be evaluated from another angle. Biologists argue that saliva production during the day has numerous benefits to our teeth and mouth in general. The benefits include;
It keeps our teeth clean by washing away food particles.
It contains special cells that help to fight bacteria and infections.
It provides substances that prevent tooth decay.
However, this fact changes at night when saliva production 
decreases giving more room for plague and bacteria to build up. This is evidenced by the morning breath which may be occasioned by an invisible effect which may be even more harmful. This is the bacteria that convert the carbohydrates and sugar into acid that eats up the enamel and gum leading to more serious dental disorders like gingivitis and cavities.
With that said, do you brush your teeth before or after breakfast? Before we reach a conclusion, let’s see what happens when you brush your teeth before or after breakfast;
Before Breakfast
Brushing your teeth before breakfast is important because by doing so, you remove the plague that build up at night thus getting rid of the bacteria waiting to go down on your gums when fed with sugars and carbohydrates from your breakfast.
You can then rinse your teeth with plain water after breakfast and you will be good to go.
After Breakfast
If you choose to brush your teeth after breakfast, you should at least wait for 20-30 minutes after the meal before you clean your teeth. This is because the acid that may be contained in the meal and in beverages especially can further weaken your gum and enamel which will be worsened by bacteria build up over the night. Delaying cleaning your teeth will ensure that the enamel has absorbed some minerals from the saliva hence ready for cleaning.
No matter the route that you decide on, the most important thing here is brushing. However, most dentists recommend the before breakfast routine but they would rather you focus on regular and correct brushing.
