Do you brush your teeth BEFORE or AFTER breakfast?

Do you brush your teeth BEFORE or AFTER breakfast? - A picture of cute boy brushing his teeth. Taken with permission from http://farm1.static.flickr.com/65/157127388_82eaefbab3.jpg?v=0 .
Singapore
July 16, 2007 1:10pm CST
I remember that brushing my teeth used to be the first thing I did each morning. After all, I was taught to behave like a good boy and that meant adhering strictly to the "morning ritual". :-) That however changed after I grew up and started seeing my own dentist. From her, I realized the need for flossing (too late) and that brushing need not actually be the very first thing to do. After all, if I have brushed and flossed thoroughly just before I slept, my mouth is theoretically clean. And so in the morning, I would just gargle with plain water, then proceed to eat my breakfast. It is only after I have eaten my breakfast would I do my first brushing of the day. What about you? Do you brush your teeth BEFORE breakfast? Or do you brush AFTER? Or do you brush only once a week when you feel like it? Do share your thoughts. :-) PS.: I am "giving" away US$60 per person. Please pm me if you are interested. If you are not on my friend list, just send a friend request or email me using the online form at http://www.contactify.com/10324 . Btw, I do NOT scam so quit reporting me, silly. :P
35 people like this
146 responses
@atramesil (685)
• United States
16 Jul 07
Uh, after! Otherwise you could spend the day walking around with who knows what stuck in your teeth. Seems pointless to me to do it before eating. Unless maybe you are on an over night date and your morning breath is worse than average.
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
16 Jul 07
it is certainly no trouble to give a freshen up brushing after you eat and before you go out for the day as well. I used to pack a toothbrush with my lunch so that I could brush after the mid meal while away from home. I do not do this anymore, but I do take a look in the mirror to see if anything is hanging around, there usually isn't as I drink quite a bit of water. Sugary drinks leave a residue for food particles to stick on.
4 people like this
• Singapore
16 Jul 07
So what happened to me last time was that I actually brushed twice lol.:P Sugary drink encourage bacteria growth... doesn't make breath smell good.:PP
3 people like this
@Zelmarq (12607)
• Cebu City, Philippines
3 Sep 07
Hello there atramesil. I brush my teth while taking a bath and then I alwasy forget to brush after eating breakfast at work coz I have to rush to my console and accpet calls for the rest of the day. I can only brush whn Im about to sleep. I try not to socialize with people when I dont brush my teeth coz its shameful for them to see the things stucked on my teeth. LOL
• Canada
16 Jul 07
Hi lordwarwizard, that's an easy one. I always brush my teeth after I have breakfast. It seems kind of pointless to brush them before when you are just going to get food stuck in your teeth once again.
4 people like this
@rsmith512 (1561)
• United States
18 Jul 07
Well, for the people that do brush their teeth before they eat breakfast...do they brush them after as well. Or, do they just brush before? I think that they would realize if they brushed before and after! haha :D
4 people like this
• Canada
18 Jul 07
Good point rsmith, but why do twice what you really only need to do once? It just seems pointless to me to brush before even if your going to brush again after =P
3 people like this
• Singapore
16 Jul 07
Yea, it took me long enough to realize that.:P
4 people like this
@GardenGerty (160996)
• United States
16 Jul 07
May family taught to brush after breakfast. Why, if you brushed at bedtime, would you want to brush and have that toothpaste flavor hanging out with your coffee and breakfast, but indeed that is the norm. See all the college girls in the dorm traipsing out to brush teeth before anything else. LOL. But I just ate lunch, so it is time to brush again.
• Singapore
16 Jul 07
Somehow I won't smell of toothpaste after having slept through the night. :P
3 people like this
• United States
17 Jul 07
I brush before I eat, it's the first thing I do in the morning. I don't eat till I get to work so about two hours after I brush.
4 people like this
@Marie2473 (8512)
• Sweden
16 Jul 07
I do it after breakfast, however m bf always does it before and after =) I will however drink water when I wake up - lots of it =) WHY are u giving away loads of money by the way getting rich are you :-D
4 people like this
• Singapore
16 Jul 07
Be careful about gum receding.. your bf.:P
3 people like this
• United States
16 Jul 07
Washing my face and brushing my teeth are the first things that I do upon awakening. I rise very early and drink a few cups of coffee, but after breakfast or if I don't have time to eat after my morning coffee I brush my teeth again before starting my day. But, as I said, I am up very early. PS...giving away money may make friends, but it will not help you in your venture in becoming rich..but OK, I will bite...lol
4 people like this
• Singapore
16 Jul 07
"Giving" with inverted commas.:P
3 people like this
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
16 Jul 07
I can not stand morning breath so would brush my teeth prior to breakfast...of course this is yucky if you plan on having a citrus drink for your breakfast. I usually do not eat my breakfast for a couple hours after I wake up.
4 people like this
• Singapore
16 Jul 07
Well, if you just don't smell your breath and gobble up your breakfast right away, the smell of the food will likely cover it up.:P
3 people like this
@patgalca (18394)
• Orangeville, Ontario
16 Jul 07
I can't stand morning breath, the smell, the taste. I brush my teeth as soon as I get out of the shower in the morning. At this point in time I am not really "eating" breakfast. I always have two cups of tea first and at this time I am having a Slimfast shake for breakfast so there is no food stuck in my teeth. Even when I was eating breakfast, I still brushed before. I also brush before I go to bed because I wear a mouthguard which would lock the food in my lower teeth.
4 people like this
• Singapore
16 Jul 07
I guess if what you take in is really liquid stuff, then it is more ok. Though if you add sugar, then you will definitely need to brush - which you do, so that's fine.:)
3 people like this
@aidonia (4209)
• Greece
16 Jul 07
I use to brush my teeth before breakfast.I know none like the taste of toothpaste confusing with the taste of food but I can't eat breakfast just after I wake up.I need time until I can put something to my stomach so the taste of toothpaste since then is gonna. PS:Of course I didn't get what exactly you mean by "giving"away money but who can report you if you offer money...here they are people that ask money and nobody report them lol:
3 people like this
• Singapore
16 Jul 07
Just rinse it a few more times lol. :P And geez, I thought putting inverted commas around giving would do the trick. If I can edit my discussion, I will... :(
2 people like this
22 Apr 08
hello, i am also confussed about the money giving.. but on the subjst of brushing teeth, for me its not the taste of the food or looking like a fool for having somthing stuck in my teeth that bothers me. im more concerned with what is more healthy for my teeth. i know you should wait for at leats 30 mins afer drinking juice or eating fruit, before you brush your teeth, but is this applicable if you brush first and then eat? or can you eat straight away.. disregard whether it taste bad or not, because i just want to avoid tooth decay. thanks
@smints8985 (1594)
• United States
20 Jul 07
I used to brush when I wake up and before breakfast, well I think during that time I don't really eat breakfast. Anyways, so lately, I just gargle then have my breakfast first then brush after. It think it is too much to brush before and after so I just brush after breakfast. And like you said, we floss before bed and so when we wake up we just need to gargle and that is fine then we can do the brushing after the meal.
2 people like this
• Singapore
20 Jul 07
I guess if you can brush and floss thoroughly at least once a day, it sounds good enough.:)
1 person likes this
@tmlnmr (1850)
• Canada
16 Jul 07
Hey wizard, I gave that habit up as well. I will brush after breaky only as my firs brushing of the day. I normally just have something to drink and eat right away so that I can take my meds and then go and do my mouth care. Although if my mouth is 'yucky' I will rinse it out then eat. LOL :)
4 people like this
• Singapore
16 Jul 07
Looks like this is the best course of action.:P
3 people like this
• India
17 Jul 07
I brush my teeth before breakfast because i hate the aftertaste of the night that stays in my mouth and with it i won't be able to enjoy my breakfast. And i have mong ago learnt that all things that work out theoretically don't necessarily work out practically, so i'm happy following the time old riual of brushing thy teeth b4 breakfast.
2 people like this
• Singapore
17 Jul 07
Oh yea? Fine then.:P
• Philippines
19 Jul 07
I brush my teeth after breakfast. Because if I do it before, then I'd have to brush my teeth again after or else my breath would smell weird. Or I could just have a mint, but mints are not that good if taken too often. So yeah, I brush after eating breakfast. I can't remember when I was younger though. Maybe back then I brushed before...
• Singapore
20 Jul 07
Yea, too troublesome.:P
1 person likes this
@ckj6981 (194)
• Singapore
20 Jul 07
Yes, I do. I will brush my teeth after every meals.
• Singapore
20 Jul 07
Cool.
1 person likes this
@larry21 (20)
• Canada
8 Oct 07
i brush my teeth before breakfast then have my breakfast. i don't like brushing my teeth after breakfast. im just lazy though my parents keep on nagging me brush my teeth before and after i eat my breakfast.
2 people like this
• Singapore
10 Oct 07
Try listening? :P
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
16 Jul 07
I am guilty of only brushing my fangs once a day and that's before bedtime, if there's a full moon then I'll clean my fangs before going out on the town, and if there's a dreaded trip to the dentist due then I will give them an extra clean. Oh and I use mouthwash but not that awlful dire tasting listerine with that dragon ewww no!
• Singapore
16 Jul 07
Lol wolfie! I know it is you but I still can't help laughing when I saw your fangs.:P
1 person likes this
@ladyluna (7004)
• United States
16 Jul 07
Hello Lordwarwizard, I am so happy to see your blue star again!!! Red is not as befitting a wizard such as yourself. Hmmm - no question, I brush after breakfast. Although I do rinse with a very mild mouth rinse upon waking. Especially since I don't eat breakfast until a couple hours after awakening. Certainly don't want to inflict any damage on other household members with dragon breath, eh?
2 people like this
• Singapore
17 Jul 07
Lol my lady, I am still at 95/100 so it is likely just a tip over. But it has been blue for quite some time. The time you see it though, it might become red or worse again. Who knows? *shrugged* A way to get slim by withholding breakfast? :P
@Bujoyseth (1684)
• Philippines
17 Jul 07
well, the very first thing i do when i wake up is to brush my teeth. so, definitely, i brush my teeth before breakfast.. hehhee..
2 people like this
• Singapore
17 Jul 07
So you will need to brush it again after breakfast? :P
16 Jul 07
Many years ago I worked as a chair side assistant in a dental clinic. It was drummed into our clients that they should brush their teeth twice a day, first in the morning AFTER breakfast and the second time last thing at night before they go to bed. my parents also held to this and my brother and I were always being reminded after breakfast to go and brush our teeth. Having seen some awful sights where people do not look after their teeth I can only say that it is better to brush your teeth rather than lose your teeth :-)
• Singapore
17 Jul 07
Looks like I am doing it right LOL. :P
@sukumar794 (5040)
• Thiruvananthapuram, India
17 Jul 07
I have my early morning cup of tea without getting my teeth brushed up. But I make it a point that I have my breakfast only after brushing my teeth thoroughly .
2 people like this
• Singapore
17 Jul 07
I see..
@vijigopi (991)
• United States
17 Jul 07
Well! It's not actually THE first thing that I do, if you know what I mean. I tend to drink a lot of water during the day and night, and so pushing the water out of my body is probably the first thing I do after getting up. But then, the second is Brushing my Teeth! A year before, when I wasn't drinking that much water, I wouldn't even open my mouth to talk to anybody before brushing my teeth. Now that I have to open my mouth to drink water every few hours during the night, I usually do a quick brush up with my hand every time I get up to use the loo, so, it's not that much of a job to talk before brushing my teeth. But after breakfast!! that is taboo for me. I brush just once a day, so taking breakfast before brushing is just out of the way!!
2 people like this
• Singapore
17 Jul 07
Hmm.. is the air too dry in the night where you are? Having to hydrate yourself through the night and all..