# Do you brush your teeth before or after breakfast? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 16, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886 "2012-10-16T14:37:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886/1 "2012-10-16T14:37:05Z")
I was taught from childhood that the first thing you do when you get out of bed in the morning is brush your teeth. Later in life, I found out that many people don’t brush their teeth until after breakfast. I found that repulsive. I can’t imagine even taking a sip of water before brushing. So what do you do? ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886/2 "2012-10-16T14:44:43Z")
After breakfast. I don’t see the point in freshening my mouth and then smelling like whatever I ate. Plus, brushing and then eating or drinking something and getting that awful taste? Yuck. The only exception is when I wake up and don’t plan to eat for awhile. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886/3 "2012-10-16T14:46:34Z")
> [@FordTaurusSHO94](#): > > I don’t see the point in freshening my mouth and then smelling like whatever I ate. I wash my mouth after eating. But I can’t imagine eating with that yucky morning mouth in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Rubixcube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Rubixcube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubixcube)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886/4 "2012-10-16T14:49:04Z")
I wake up, drink my coffee, eat breakfast, and then brush. Toothpaste makes food and drink taste either off or downright bad (ever taken a sip of orange juice after brushing?) and my main goal in brushing is to avoid lingering and festering flavors and bad breath. Brushing before accomplishes neither of those. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886/5 "2012-10-16T14:53:04Z")
I voted “after breakfast” because most days that’s what I do. Occasionally I fall asleep without brushing my teeth at night. On those mornings after the taste of my own mouth bothers me and so I’ll brush to get rid of that, and then brush again after breakfast so breakfast isn’t just sitting on my teeth. Also, on occasions when I’m going out for breakfast I’ll brush before leaving the house. I keep toothpaste and a toothbrush at work so I can brush after breakfast if I’ve eaten it on the way in. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886/6 "2012-10-16T15:02:55Z")
I’m not generally a breakfast eater, so I always brush my teeth first thing getting out of bed. It is the first thing I do. If it’s a day that I do have breakfast, I brush my teeth after as well. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886/7 "2012-10-16T15:03:25Z")
After breakfast. The whole point of brushing is to remove food particles so that they don’t cause tooth decay. If I brush then eat, the particles will remain. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886/8 "2012-10-16T15:06:33Z")
As **tdn** says – what’s the point of brushing _before_ breakfast? My food will taste funny, and I’ll have my breakfast caught in my teeth all day. When I was a kid I used to brush first, but when I found myself picking bits of corn flakes out of my teeth on the way to school it dawned on me that this might not be the best order of doing things. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886/9 "2012-10-16T15:08:36Z")
I brush after breakfast although you’re not supposed to. As for morning mouth, I find a cup of coffee washes out the cruddy taste and feeling and then I can enjoy my meal without feeling quite so gross. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886/10 "2012-10-16T15:11:32Z")
Before breakfast. I eat breakfast at work so I brush before that when I’m getting ready to go to work. I’ve thought about inventing a Roomba for your mouth where you can get your teeth cleaned while you are typing, working etc. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886/11 "2012-10-16T15:11:33Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I brush after breakfast although you’re not supposed to. You’re not supposed to? ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886/12 "2012-10-16T15:13:03Z")
I do both. Monday thru Friday it’s before breakfast since I eat breakfast on the way to work. Weekends it’s after breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886/13 "2012-10-16T15:29:04Z")
The night before. Since I brush my teeth before going to bed, there shouldn’t be anything in my mouth to attack my teeth or my breath during the night, so when I get up in the morning there’s nothing “repulsive” about my mouth that a little rinsing out with water won’t fix. ETA: After breakfast, I may or may not brush or chew some sugarless gum, depending on how much time I have and whether I have any breakfast stuck to my teeth. ---
**Author:** ![Shadez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Shadez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shadez)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886/14 "2012-10-16T15:32:29Z")
My daily routine: I brush a bit before breakfast - about 30 seconds. Just enough to feel clean. I brush after breakfast - at least 2 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886/15 "2012-10-16T15:32:36Z")
The problem with brushing before breakfast is one of the ingredients they put in the toothpaste: sodium lauryl sulfate, a foaming agent. The stuff absolutely ruins the taste of orange juice. Yuck. I’m guessing you don’t take orange juice at breakfast? What I do is rinse my mouth with plain water, as many times as needed, on first rising in the morning. Edit: I brush after breakfast; I’d think that went without saying, except I see there are votes for never brushing in the morning. That’s disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886/16 "2012-10-16T15:32:44Z")
I brush first thing in the morning. Breakfast is either a biscuit sammich at the office or, on weekends, going out to eat. There’s no way I’d go out in public without brushing - in fact, I need to brush first thing - can’t stand the taste of my mouth. I seem to have been born with good teeth - I rarely floss, I pretty much brush just once a day, and my twice-a-year dental cleanings are quick and painless. If I wasn’t so lucky, I can see me brushing constantly… ---
**Author:** ![Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Curiosity_Kills_Her)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886/17 "2012-10-16T15:36:55Z")
First thing in the morning was my answer, but that’s only half the answer in my case. When I get up I floss, rinse with a mouthwash containing hydrogen peroxide, then brush. After a couple cups of coffee and before leaving the house I brush again. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886/18 "2012-10-16T15:43:24Z")
I used to brush after breakfast because I thought the lingering taste of toothpaste would ruin my breakfast. Then I started living in a dorm, where I would go to the cafeteria for breakfast and then head straight to class, so for a while I didn’t even brush in the morning. Then someone told me as long as I didn’t drink orange juice, breakfast tasted just fine after brushing my teeth. I discovered they were right, and ever since then I’ve brushed before breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886/19 "2012-10-16T15:47:31Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > The night before. > > Since I brush my teeth before going to bed, there shouldn’t be anything in my mouth to attack my teeth or my breath during the night, so when I get up in the morning there’s nothing “repulsive” about my mouth that a little rinsing out with water won’t fix. > > ETA: After breakfast, I may or may not brush or chew some sugarless gum, depending on how much time I have and whether I have any breakfast stuck to my teeth. Aren’t you lucky. My morning breath is rank, despite brushing well every night. I always brush my teeth as soon as I wake up, because my mouth feels gross and I need to get rid of that feeling. I don’t usually have breakfast until a half hour or so later, if at all, and I have a mint on the way to work to kill some of the coffee breath. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886/20 "2012-10-16T16:11:48Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > You’re not supposed to? Certain foods, especially acidic things like orange juice soften tooth enamel and brushing immediately after eating them damages the enamel. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-brush-your-teeth-before-or-after-breakfast/637886.md?page=2)