Brushing Teeth at Night vs. Morning - Dentist’s Guide

Brushing is one of the best and probably the easiest ways to take ongoing care of your teeth. As important as it is to brush your teeth daily, knowing the right time to brush is even more crucial. Should you brush in the morning, after you wake up? Or is it better to do it at night before bed? The timing of brushing can greatly impact the outcomes.

In this article, we’ll explore the pros and cons of brushing teeth at night vs. morning. We’ll dive deep into the science of brushing and why timing matters, share tips on how to get the most out of your brushing routine, and address common questions like “Should you brush after every meal?” and “What happens if you do not brush for a day?”

Brushing in the Morning

While only around 69% of Americans brush their teeth twice a day, those who do it once daily brush most commonly in the morning. Why? Mainly because it’s convenient and easy to fall into a routine with other things like bathing and dressing up.

Pros of brushing your teeth in the morning:

• Removes Overnight Bacteria: After hours of sleep, your mouth harbors bacteria, which feed on food particles from your last meal. This can cause plaque buildup, leading to bad breath and tooth decay. Brushing in the morning removes bacteria and stops this buildup.

• Freshens Breath: One of the reasons why most people brush in the morning is that it removes bad odor caused by the bacteria in your mouth from overnight sleeping. Brushing helps make your breath fresh.

• Prepares Your Mouth for the Day: Brushing in the morning gives you the feeling of a fresh mouth to start the day on a positive note. It has the same impact on the mouth as bathing has on the body.

• Stimulates Saliva Flow: Brushing early promotes the production of saliva, ensuring the safety and cleanliness of teeth throughout the day.

Cons

• Brushing immediately after an acidic or hot meal can harm enamel. Dentists recommend waiting at least 30 minutes before brushing after eating acidic or hot foods.

• Less Time to Brush: People who brush in the morning usually do it in a hurry. While they manage to remove bacteria accumulated overnight, brushing quickly might not be able to clear the buildup from the entire day before.

Brushing at Night (Before Bed)

A large number of Americans brush their teeth at night, usually before they go to bed. Brushing at night helps remove the entire day’s buildup as well as eliminates food particles, preventing bacteria accumulation. Let’s find out if it’s better than brushing in the morning.

Pros of brushing at night

• Removes a Full Day’s Buildup: Brushing at night clears away the entire day’s residue, bacteria and plaque buildup, ensuring your teeth are free from food particles that might break down into acids overnight.

• Protects Enamel: Brushing your teeth at night slows down acid production and removes bacteria that could damage enamel during sleep.

• Reduces Cavity Risk: By reducing the accumulation of plaque and food particles on teeth, brushing at night can cut the risk of cavities and tooth decay.

• Promotes Gum Health: Brushing before bed helps clear plaque, reducing the risk of gum disease and supporting healthy gums.

• Improves Sleep Quality: Brushing your teeth at night reportedly helps your brain get calmer and more set for sleep. Moreover, a clean mouth with fresher breath ensures hygiene and reduces stress as you sleep.

• Protects Overall Health: Maintaining oral hygiene, especially at night, improves your overall health, reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, according to studies.

Cons

• Hard to maintain routine: Night brushing routine is difficult to follow, mainly because people are tired by the time they’re ready to go to bed. Most are too lazy to do an extra chore, like brushing, by then.

Should You Brush After Every Meal?

One of the most common questions our patients at Lynnwood Dental Studio ask is whether they should brush after every meal.

Well, the right answer is: Not Necessarily

For most people, brushing after every meal is not required. If you're already following a good oral hygiene routine, like brushing twice a day, flossing regularly, and eating healthy foods, brushing after each meal is usually not needed.

However, if you’re someone who smokes or drinks regularly or consumes acidic foods (such as coffee or citrus fruits) a lot, brushing after meals might help reduce some damage. It is best to consult your dentist before starting any new brushing or dental hygiene routine.

What Happens If You Skip Brushing?

Skipping or missing brushing your teeth once or twice is usually non-alarming and shouldn’t have any serious impact on your oral health.

What to expect in the short-term?

If you miss brushing for a day or two, you’ll immediately notice bad breath and might also feel plaque buildup on your teeth. These effects are generally short-term and can be tackled by fixing your wrong brushing habits.

However, if you forget or miss brushing consistently for days, it can lead to serious oral health issues, such as tartar buildup and the increased risk of cavities, gum disease, and tooth loss.

Not brushing your teeth for many days can even lead to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other serious conditions.

Which Is Better?: Brushing Teeth at Night vs. Morning

Morning Brushing: Removes overnight bacteria and bad odour; ensures fresh breath and a positive feeling throughout the day                                     

Night Brushing: Clears full-day bacteria and plaque buildup; reduces the risk of gum diseases; supports health; lowers health risks 

While the American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing twice a day, including both morning and night, nighttime brushing is generally more beneficial and important for overall health. Brushing at night, right before you go to bed, removes the entire day’s food particles, plaque, and bacteria accumulated in your mouth, preventing or reducing the risk of cavities, gum disease, and other health issues.

Morning brushing primarily helps remove the bacteria from the overnight. It is still important, but not as vital or effective as night brushing.

For the best results, doctors recommend brushing both in the morning and at night.

Conclusion: Night or Morning Brushing?

Brushing your teeth daily is critical, but the timing is just as important. Brushing in the morning removes the overnight bacteria and plaque buildup, clears away bad odor, and prepares you to face the day with confidence. Brushing at night, on the other hand, removes the entire day's accumulation of plaque, food particles, and bacteria from your teeth, reducing the risks of serious dental issues such as tooth decay and gum disease. Night brushing also has several potential long-term health benefits, including lowering the risk of heart disease.

To conclude, the best way to go about brushing is to do it twice a day, once in the morning and then at night. Between the two, however, nighttime brushing wins due to its greater impact and long-term benefits. The most important thing, yet, is to brush daily, floss regularly, and visit your dentist for routine checkups to maintain your oral health and hygiene.

At Lynnwood Dental Studio, we always advise our patients to brush their teeth twice a day to ensure maximum oral health and hygiene. If you’re looking for a reliable dentist near Lynnwood, feel free to contact our friendly team or visit our website to schedule a visit.