We all know brushing twice a day for two minutes keeps our teeth in tip-top condition. But, did you know that the time you brush can also play a big part in the overall health of your mouth?
Dr Vikas Prinja, better known by his 264,000 TikTok followers as @thelondondentist, explained why it isn’t always a good idea to wait until after you’ve had your breakfast in the morning to pop to the bathroom for a quick scrub. While it might seem like the most ideal time – being that you’re teeth will then be clean after the meal – it could actually be leading you towards more harm than good.
The dental surgeon said: “If you’re not brushing your teeth before breakfast then you could be ruining your teeth. When you go to sleep, the amount of saliva that your body produces drops and saliva is what protects your teeth against bacteria.
“That means the bacteria in your mouth have an absolute field day and they multiply overnight. If you eat in the morning before you brush your teeth, you’re also feeding that bacteria and they poo out acid which is what causes tooth decay.
“You guessed it, if you brush straight after you’re rubbing those acids into the teeth causing tooth wear which leads to sensitivity and thinner, yellower teeth.”
Tooth decay may not cause any symptoms at first but if it gets worse it can lead to problems, such as toothacHe or noticeable white/brown/black spots on your tooth.
Treatment for tooth decay depends on how severe it is. A dentist can prescribe fluoride treatments, like mouthwash or varnish, to reverse early tooth decay. More severe decay might need a filling if a cavity has formed in your tooth.
Depending on how deep the decay is a root canal procedure may be needed. Sometimes the affected tooth may be beyond repair and need to be removed.
Dr Prinja had some advice though to prevent this happening. He said: “Ideally brush before breakfast and then use mouthwash after meals to wash away any little bits of food so you’re not feeding that bacteria.”