What’s your breakfast go-to? A bowl of fruit / cereal with the little ones, maybe a cheeky pain au choc from the bakery on the way to work? Perhaps working from home now allows a bigger full english, or you’re training hard for the summer bod so you whizz up a smoothie instead?

Whatever you choose for your first meal of the day, did you know it’s actually better to brush BEFORE you eat?! Whaaaaat, you say??

Yep, there’s quite a few reasons too! See below;

Whilst we sleep, plaque is constantly building up on our teeth. If we eat first, the plaque will team up with the sugars in your breakfast and oral bacteria, creating an acid response which isn’t good for our teeth.

Many people drink fruit juice for breakfast, and we talked about citrus and our teeth a few weeks ago. If you brush after eating or drinking citrus, the acids will weaken your enamel and the brushing will damage it even more.

If you have the time and prefer to brush after eating, ensure that you wait at least 30 mins for the acid levels to reduce, to protect your enamel when brushing. If you don’t have the time, brush before eating.

Fluoride in toothpaste can protect and strengthen our tooth enamel, so brushing before breakfast can add a protective shield on our teeth, protecting them from breakfast acids.

After breakfast you can simply rinse your mouth out with water to remove any food bits, acids from juices or coffee, and floss too if necessary.

For fresh breath you can use a mouthwash, and sugar free gum will also keep the breath fresh whilst producing saliva, which will also help to neutralize the acids.

So brush before breakfast, and protect your teeth!