Nourish & Flourish: Brush your teeth!

Good hygiene practices include brushing teeth at least twice each day. The American Dental Association recommends brushing for two minutes, once in the morning and again at night before bed. But should you brush your teeth first thing in the morning if you are just going to eat breakfast right after anyway?

While the jury is still out, experts recommend brushing teeth before breakfast, according to Better Report.

As we sleep, plaque-causing bacteria grow in our mouths, and it’s important to remove that buildup after we wake up. In addition, brushing your teeth helps generate the flow of saliva, which helps our bodies break down the food we eat.

If brushing after eating in the morning is already a habit, that’s better than not brushing at all in the mornings. However, if you plan on brushing after breakfast, wait at least 30 to 60 minutes after eating. If you brush too soon after eating, you can spread acidic food over your teeth’s enamel, which weakens it over time. Waiting 30 to 60 minutes or more gives your teeth time to remineralize. While waiting, rinsing your mouth with drinking water is a good idea to help encourage the remineralization process.