TV doctor names one thing you should never do after breakfast

23 February 2024 , 11:27

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When you enjoy your breakfast can have an impact on your oral health (Stock Image) (Image: Getty Images)

Everybody's morning routines are totally different. Whether you're up and out in ten minutes, or you like to take an extra hour in the morning to make yourself feel good, we all have our own little way of doing things. But if you're the sort of person who eats their breakfast and then cleans their teeth immediately after, doctor Michael Mosley has got a stern warning for you.

The health guru, who popularised the Fast 800 diet, has shared that eating, then brushing, could weaken the enamel on your teeth, and could cause chaos in your mouth. He insisted that you should clean your teeth first thing in the morning, and then eat breakfast once the minty fresh taste has subsided.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, he penned: "Does anyone brush their teeth BEFORE breakfast? That's the advice from the American Dental Association. If you don't do it before, [you] should wait at least 30 mins after in case acid from meal weakens enamel and brushing damages."

His advice was backed by Location, Location, Location's Kirsty Allsopp, who said: "Yes, I was taught this years ago", so she'd been implementing it ever since. But Dr Mosley penned: "Doesn't it make breakfast taste funny? I'm currently trying to wait 30 minutes after breakfast before brushing but that just feels unnatural; like waiting 30 minutes after going to the loo to wash your hands."

Dr Khaled Kasem, chief orthodontist at Impress, told The Express that brushing your teeth immediately after eating can cause problems down the line. "This is because when you eat breakfast, the acid in the mouth weakens the tooth enamel, which can lead to cavities and other oral health problems", he said. Dr Kasem also warned it could lead to needing "dental treatment" in the future.

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And if you're enjoying a coffee in the morning, or your breakfast consists of more acidic foods like fruit, The American Dental Association recommends waiting 60 minutes after eating before brushing - so make sure you're up nice and early.

Danielle Kate Wroe