How Long After Brushing Should You Wait to Eat?

There is a lot of conflicting information regarding the order in which you should brush your teeth. It is logical to think that brushing right after eating is the best thing to do because your mouth is dirty and has all these food particles between your teeth. The short answer to this common question is, it depends.

Brushing Your Teeth in the Morning

Some people brush their teeth before they even shower, as they can’t tolerate the morning breath taste in their mouth or perhaps they don’t brush their teeth before bed. It may be better for your oral health to brush first thing in the morning in this case.

Your mouth is full of bacteria that can react to certain foods, especially after the sleeping hours. Cleaning your mouth in the morning will remove the harmful elements in your saliva and adds protective fluoride before foods touch your teeth.

Should You Brush Before Bed?

Brushing your teeth before bed is essential. In many cases, you don’t have time or access to a toothbrush at work or school. This means you haven’t brushed your teeth since you left the house and you ate lunch or snacks during the day. If you get too tired at night to spend two minutes brushing your teeth, try to do it about 20 minutes after eating your last meal to give them time to recover from the acidity in the foods you had. Don’t skip brushing your teeth before bed and don’t forget to floss at least once a day.

In people with good oral health, there is no problem with eating after brushing his or her teeth. However, those who are prone to cavities should wait. There is no set time you should wait, and you can also let the taste of the toothpaste wash away before having a snack or drink.

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