Canton Dentist Discusses how Brushing Your Teeth in the Morning Protects Your Teeth and Gums
One of the more difficult issues that people may face in the morning is simply this; should you brush your teeth in the morning before you eat breakfast or after? While it may seem like a silly worry, there are questions on whether one is actually better for your teeth than the other. People will argue one way or another, but with the help of your Canton dentist, we will break down which is better and why!
On one hand, if you brush your teeth before breakfast, you’re ridding of your lingering morning breath from your night of sleep. It puts a much better taste in your mouth than you had before. But on the other hand, if you brush after you eat breakfast, you’re getting rid of the food particles that could have stuck around for the rest of your day without proper cleaning after your meal. This also removes any built up bacteria that could have stuck around!
Before we answer the burning question, let’s see what’s actually happening in your mouth while you’re sleeping and why brushing is more than simply helpful.
The reason that bad morning breath occurs is because the amount of saliva that’s being produced in your mouth when you sleep is a lot less than usual. Throughout the day, there’s somewhere between 80-90% of your total saliva production, and when you’re sleeping, it’s only around 10-15%. Why is that? Well, your body has drastically slowed down when you’re resting, so you’re not producing nearly the same amount of saliva as you do when you’re active and awake.
The benefits of saliva are to maintain healthy gums and teeth, since there are protective minerals created within your saliva that strengthens the enamel, or the surface of your teeth. With a reduced amount of saliva, your teeth are at a higher risk of decay and infections, respectively.
Although dessert is usually meant for the nighttime, indulging in too much sugar can dramatically damage your teeth. Your saliva production lessens throughout the day as your body begins to rest for bed, so you’re feeding into the harmful bacteria that can damage your teeth quicker than you may think.
So, when’s the best time to brush—before or after breakfast? The answer is either! It all depends on what you’d like to do; we simply encourage that you brush your teeth in the morning to battle the bacteria in your mouth, whether it’s before or after you eat.
If you have any other questions for your Canton dentist, don’t hesitate to call our office at (330) 493-8400 today!
