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TOP DOCTOR HAS FINALLY LIFTED THE LID ON WHEN YOU SHOULD FIRST BRUSH YOUR TEETH - AND DR PRAVEEN SHARMA HAS OPENED A CAN OF WORMS WITH HIS RECOMMENDATION EMILY HALL 14:51, 20 May 2025Updated
14:51, 20 May 2025 Experts have finally smashed a longheld question about brushing your teeth - whether to clean them before or after breakfast. It is an argument that splits families but
now the answer has been revealed by one of Britain’s top dentists. Dr Praveen Sharma, Associate Professor and Honorary Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at the University of Birmingham,
said brushing BEFORE is actually better for us. He was speaking to Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken on the BBC Radio 4’s What’s Up Docs? Acknowledging how the brush before or after debate
polarised people, Dr Sharma said: “There’s also this thing about whether you brush before or after breakfast. Article continues below “For most people it just ends up being a preference but
ideally you should brush before you have your breakfast. “You don’t want to be brushing after you’ve had something acidic as it’s going to have a softening effect on the mineral substance of
the tooth enamel and the dentine. “If you prefer to brush after you’ve had your breakfast then you should leave some time between breakfast and brushing your teeth to allow for that.” He
said the minimum time needed between food and brushing was 30 minutes or longer. This may be hard for most people who grab breakfast before rushing out of the house. Dr Sharma also revealed
another amazing toothbrushing fact - that doing it well once a day was far better than doing it incorrectly twice. He went on: “You need to be present in what you’re doing. If you can find
that time in the morning, then do it in the morning. “If you find that time in the evening, then do it in the evening. Don’t rush it twice a day and think you’re brushing twice a day. “It’s
better to do it once a day and well rather than twice a day and not well. And if it’s all the same, then doing it in the evening is the better time to do it. “Your saliva flow decreases when
you go to sleep, bacteria hanging around a lot more so if you can disrupt that at the start when you go to bed they will do less damage overnight. And when I say brushing, I mean brushing
and cleaning between the teeth.” Dr Sharma also revealed the best way to clean teeth for fresh breath and no cavities. The ideal, he said, was to finish eating, wait half an hour, use an
interdental brush, then gently brush every surface of every tooth in little circular motions with a medium stiffness brush. And happily for those on a budget, the doc also said expensive
toothpaste wasn’t worth the money. “The toothpaste as long as it has fluoride in it doesn’t have much of an effect,” he said. Article continues below “There will be some marginal effects
from some of the ingredients in toothpaste, but it’s the physical action of disrupting the biofilm that’s going to make the most difference. “When I’m shopping for toothpaste I’ll just get
whatever’s on offer. As long as it has fluoride in it I’m happy.”