Should You Brush Your Teeth Before or After Breakfast?

It’s a routine we all know well: Wake up, chug a cup (or two) of coffee, speed-eat breakfast, and brush your teeth before heading out the door. But what if we’ve gotten it wrong? Recently, dentists have taken to TikTok to dispel a common myth about our tried-and-true oral habits, sparking debate about whether you should brush your teeth before or after eating your first meal of the day. Turns out, our morning routines might just need an overhaul.

Brushing Before Breakfast Keeps Teeth Strong

Dr. Suhail Mohiuddin, D.D.S., of the dental clinic Dentologie, introduced a three-step process he told his 788,000 TikTok followers to implement every morning: brush, eat, and rinse with water. As he explained in his video, this is because our mouths enter an acidic state upon ingesting food, which is the first part of the digestion process. Brushing in an acidic environment increases the likelihood of enamel demineralization, which can erode teeth. Because the food we eat contains natural sugars that break down when we eat, brushing can also spread the acids around even more, creating that perfect storm for enamel erosion.

Pre-Breakfast Brushing Rids Your Mouth of Bacteria

Bacteria accumulates in our mouths overnight, and brushing before eating eliminates those germs before they can feed on the sugars in our foods. Dental therapist Anna Peterson explained on TikTok that fluoride toothpastes protect our teeth, so it’s best to set them up for success by brushing before we expose them to any acids or sugars.

Wait 15 to 20 Minutes 

Of course, this doesn’t mean you don’t have to abandon post-breakfast teeth-brushing altogether. However, if you do brush after a meal, Dr. Derek Chung, D.M.D., of Paste Dental, recommends waiting 15 to 20 minutes after eating (at any time of day) to avoid brushing away precious enamel. If your meal includes oranges, it’s wise to wait even longer before brushing — and not just because of the dreaded orange juice-toothpaste taste. Give your teeth up to an hour after drinking orange juice due to the fruit’s acidic nature, and be sure to rinse with water before brushing to eliminate any excess acid.