“Grandpa, why does Uncle John brush his teeth before eating? Mom always tells me to brush my teeth after eating. So, why does Uncle John brush before he eats?” An honest question from an innocent child, and a good one if I may say. In my years of practice as a Dentist in Orange County, the common knowledge we tell our patients is to brush their teeth every after meal.

But these days, there seems to be a change in the rule of when to clean the teeth. Experts say that brushing the teeth before eating is better than after eating. This is because of the biofilm. It’s actually a sticky layer of substance in the teeth that serves as the fixing point of bacteria. If we brush or floss before we eat, the food we put inside our mouth won’t have anything to stick to. Hence, the food won’t go to the root surfaces of the teeth and harbor bacteria.

Likewise, food acids tend to soften the tooth enamel. So, brushing right after eating, when the enamel is soft can scrape away the teeth.

Brushing before eating rather than after is really a good argument. Nothing will be lost if we try it. As long as we clean our teeth at all times and visit the dentist regularly, we’re good to go.

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