Dental Advice

[elliemay1]

Experts advise not to brush your teeth immediately after eating, but to wait at least half an hour. So if you're in a hurry in the morning, is it better to brush before breakfast?

[rockyracoon]

I've never heard that before, if you brush your teeth before breakfast you'll probably have to wait half an hour for the taste to go away. Six of one half a dozen of the other springs to mind.

[grasscarp]

Yes. This is the NHS advice
Brush your teeth for at least two minutes in the morning before breakfast and last thing at night before you go to bed.

Never brush your teeth straight after a meal as it can damage your teeth, especially if you've had fruit, fizzy drinks, wine or any other food that contains acid.

This is because tooth enamel is softened by the acid and can be worn away by brushing. Instead, wait an hour after a meal before brushing your teeth to give your saliva chance to neutralise the acid.

[rockyracoon]

Never knew that, perhaps they should make some alkaline toothpaste for people in a hurry ;)

[Sparkles62]

yes according to my dentist, I always brush my teeth when I get up and get washed, before breakfast.
It took some getting used to though, I was always taught to do it after eating when I was younger.

[rockyracoon]

There's no way I could brush my teeth then have a cuppa or breakfast, yak.

[Sparkles62]

It does take some getting used to, I find it worse because I have very strong toothpaste on prescription because of my crohns,
the toothpaste has to be left on your teeth as long as possible, so you don't rinse your mouth after cleaning your teeth, you just spit out the excess and leave the rest there.

[elliemay1]

Thank you all. I haven't done this yet but I assume it will take some getting used to.

[Prudie]

Apart from a cup of tea I couldn't face anything in the morning until after I'd brushed my teeth. Who wants to eat all that night scum, yuk

[elliemay1]

Yes, but similarly it seems yucky to eat breakfast, lunch, dinner plus snacks all day and not brush until bedtime.

[woofgang]

you don't have to not brush till bedtime, just leave it for 30 minutes or more after you eat.

[vodkancoke]

I brush straight after my shower in the morning. By the time I get dressed and dry my hair, the toothpaste taste has gone and I can drink a cuppa with no probs. My dentist advised me to do that. It's a recent thing for me though, it took some getting used to lol.