For many, a cup of coffee and breakfast are essential to start the day right.
But it turns out that you may be doing this morning ritual completely “wrong.” One dentist says this often-overlooked morning mistake will ultimately wreak havoc on your teeth.
Dr. Shaadi Manouchehri, founder of London-based Smart Dental and Aesthetics, issued the warning on Instagram earlier this month, leaving her 61.5k followers baffled. “Never brush your teeth after having had coffee,” she stressed on her account @ dr.shaadi.manouchehri.
“Coffee is quite acidic… if you go and brush your teeth right away, you’re rubbing the acid on the tooth and wearing down the tooth… (And) don’t brush your teeth after breakfast, brush them before. Because if you If you brush immediately you will be damaging your enamel.”
Human teeth are predominantly formed by mineralized tissues such as enamel, dentin and root cementum. When you wake up in the morning, you are completely covered in bacteria that must be removed before eating.
According to Dr. Manouchehri, not doing this will allow the breakfast bacteria to add to what’s already left. This bacteria, combined with the acidic effect of coffee, is among the incredibly common causes of enamel erosion.
Over time, this can expose the layer of dentin beneath the enamel, giving the teeth an undesirable yellowish tint.
Speaking specifically about coffee, Dr. Manouchehri continued, “Wait at least 30 to 60 minutes; you don’t actually need to brush your teeth, just rinse with some mouthwash or drink water.”
In a separate point, he also added: “Never brush your teeth after you’ve vomited (either). This is probably all you want to do after you’ve vomited, but in reality the contents of your stomach are extremely acidic and your teeth are formed by minerals.
“So by the time the contents of the stomach have reached the mouth, then the mouth is very acidic. And if you brush your teeth immediately, you are rubbing the acid even more onto the tooth. So wait at least 30 to 60 minutes.” . before brushing your teeth.
“What you can do is rinse your mouth with some mouthwash and drink some water to help neutralize the acid faster.”
Dr. Manouchehri’s thoughts come from a rather disturbing 2022 survey by Hive Business that revealed that a staggering 39% of people ages 25 to 34 brush their teeth less than once a week. Meanwhile, 36% of people ages 35 to 44 have never used mouthwash in their lives.
His video also left the public completely baffled, with countless users commenting on his advice video. One wrote: “Have I always brushed my teeth after breakfast before leaving the house with breakfast Minty? No thanks.”
Another added: “I never brush my teeth,” while someone else chimed in: “I feel so validated for always brushing before breakfast!”
What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below.
