Art always brushes his teeth when he gets up in the morning before he eats breakfast. I figured it's better to brush your teeth after you eat to get rid of food debris. I always have a mocha with breakfast and Art has black coffee every other day.
I found this on Delta Dental's website:
"But if you’re planning to eat or drink something acidic — such as grapefruit, pineapple, orange juice or even coffee — it’s better to brush before breakfast.
That’s because acid attacks your teeth after you eat, weakening your tooth enamel. It takes about 30 to 45 minutes for saliva to remineralize and restore the enamel to its previous state. Brushing too soon can damage your teeth while your enamel is temporarily weakened. Instead of brushing after breakfast, consider swishing with water to help wash away acids."
Darn! I can't find where I saw it but I also read somewhere that if you don't brush away the plaque that forms on your teeth at night (before breakfast), coffee with adhere to it making staining easier.
So I guess this means I have to start my morning routine differently. I just hope I can remember.
POSTSCRIPT: Doggone it! I've been goofing up and now brushing my teeth twice, before and after I eat breakfast. Art purposely puts my toothbrush out on my sink in the morning to make sure I remember to brush my teeth before going to breakfast. However, when I'm done with breakfast, I'm on automatic control and brush my teeth again. Arrrghhh! 😖
I wonder if that works for tea too? Maybe I need to switch. I always have brushed after breakfast.
ReplyDeleteI can remember my dad making me brush my teeth before breakfast...and then he insisted I drink some grapefruit juice...NOT a good combination with toothpaste!
ReplyDeleteWell this was interesting... the funny thing is, I do brush my teeth 2 days a week before breakfast--Sunday when I eat later than usual and Monday when it's my scheduled 'laundry morning' in my apt building. Guess I'll start doing it first thing EVERY morning, thanks Kay! PS. Reading that Art drinks his coffee black...I'm reminded of one morning, several years ago when I was still working. My IT group had an early breakfast meeting, and they had 2 coffee urns set up on a food table. We were all in line, my boss after me. He saw me pour a cup of coffee and add a big dollop of cream, and said "Why don't you drink your coffee like a man?" Ever since then, I resent men who drink their coffee black. So right now I'm sitting here with my chest puffed out and looking all huffy >:^(
ReplyDeleteI just want you to know that my very macho son-in-law bought a cream frother for his coffee.
DeleteHahaha!! Thanks Kay! :^)
DeleteI guess I will have to live with stained teeth.
ReplyDeleteI drink tea during the day. But I just GOTTA brush my teeth first thing in the morning. I read something one time in a blog about morning teeth describing the feeling that every little tooth had little sweaters on them. I'll use that 5-minute whitening gel with the standard trays about once a month. But even in freezing weather, I don't like "little sweaters" on my teeth. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteWhitening gel? Hmmm... I think I need that.
DeleteIt isn't the food that causes tooth decay. It's the plaque. It produces acid and that causes tooth decay. What is the most important is flossing. Most tooth decay is between the teeth and with out flossing too your protection is incomplete.I worked in dental offices for 8 years as a chair side assistant.
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way, when you floss be sure to floss under the gums between the teeth to prevent gum disease. If your gums bleed during flossing you have gum disease. The cure is to continue flossing between the teeth until the gums heal and then always continue flossing.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard that brushing your teeth too many times is dangerous so forgetting and doing it twice probably isn't a bad thing other than a slight increase in toothpaste consumption.
ReplyDeletewe aren't coffee drinkers but my hubby always brushes before breakfast!
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of brushing teeth before breakfast. So are there any more things about brushing teeth the right way?
ReplyDeleteMost of my family brushes before breakfast (or at least the older ones) but I don't recall any reasoning behind it except that my mouth can taste icky first thing in the morning. Maybe I should start again.
ReplyDeleteI had heard this, I think on DR. OZ some years ago. Do I do it? No, but maybe I will try to make a point of trying. I tend to be on auro-pilot -- get out of bed and stumble to the coffee maker.
ReplyDeleteAfter breakfast most mornings. Then again, I've been known to brush my teeth after an early dinner. :)
ReplyDeleteOh oh. I rush to brush my teeth after my breakfast of coffee, yogurt, and granola. Hmmm. I might have to start a new habit for the sake of my dingy looking teeth.
ReplyDeleteThat will be a major change to my routine also! Is it bad to brush your teeth twice in the morning?
ReplyDeleteI think it's OK if you wait a 1/2 hour to brush after breakfast so your teeth have a chance to re-mineralize or something like that.... I guess.
DeleteI brush at the beginning of the day and at the end.
ReplyDeleteWell, that is interesting. I brush my teeth before coffee, but that's because I leave the house to get it, and part of my morning routine is brushing! :-)
ReplyDeleteDon't drink coffee and I'm one of those after brushers but not immediately so maybe I am OK. Might stretch it out a little longer.
ReplyDeleteBut.... object! I don't drink coffee in the morning, but I do drink orange juice, and tooth paste residue spoils the taste of orange juice. I use mouthwash before my shower and breakfast and then brush after. Do I have to change? I don't like change :-/
ReplyDeleteI brush when I get up and before I go to bed. No dentures yet.
ReplyDeleteI brush when I get up, and before bed.
ReplyDeleteI never drink coffee.
I’ve been doing it right all along but I don’t recall knowing there was a right and wrong way to do it. Teeth and mouth just felt cruddy in morning so I brushed. Nighttime seemed a good idea for a variety of reasons. I’ve never had brilliant white teeth which a dentist explained why and it was okay. I’ve long since forgotten what he said. Recent years dentist noted cranberry juice was an issue on my teeth.
ReplyDeleteIt’s okay you forget — that’s the learning process isn't it? Also if changing a behavior. The idea is to get it right more and more times — not necessarily perfect from the start.
Well, I just brush 'em after my coffee but before I eat breakfast. My teeth are almost 60 (those that are left, anyway) and they may be stained some, but they're still in my mouth, so...
ReplyDeleteI don't stop drinking coffee all day long.
ReplyDeletei brush my teeth after every meal and have my teeth cleaned every 6 months. that seems to do the trick with keeping them clean!! and i don't drink coffee!!
ReplyDelete