We all know how important it is to take care of the health of our teeth and gums, which means brushing teeth twice a day and using mouthwash and floss. However, most people wait to brush their teeth until after breakfast, thinking that they’ll remove bits of food. If you’re someone who skips brushing upon waking up and chooses to brush later, stop! A dentist who receives numerous views on TikTok explained in a short video why you should brush, then eat.
Dentist Anna Peterson, who claims to have 52,000 followers, states that it’s always important to brush your teeth before breakfast because brushing afterwards may cause damage.
"Did you know that you’re forbidden from brushing teeth after breakfast? Always before! There are two reasons for this” she says in the video.
When you eat breakfast, your mouth becomes acidic. So what you actually do when you brush teeth after breakfast is inject the acid into the tooth which, over time, erodes the enamel. The second reason, she says, is that "brushing before breakfast protects your teeth from anything you eat later."
A short survey of 2,062 people were asked about their teeth-brushing habits.
- 56%: brush before breakfast31%: brush after breakfast13%: sometimes before, sometimes after eating
Her video garnered more than 1.5 million views and 2,200 comments on TikTok.