You could be ruining your teeth with common morning mistakes – what to do instead

For many, a cup of coffee and breakfast are essential to kicking off the day right.

But it turns out, you may be doing this morning ritual entirely 'wrong'. One dentist claims this typical, often overlooked morning mistake will eventually wreak havoc on your teeth.

Dr Shaadi Manouchehri, the 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 you've just had coffee," she stressed, posting to her account @dr.shaadi.manouchehri.

"Coffee is quite acidic... if you go and brush your teeth straightaway, you're rubbing the acid onto the tooth and wearing the tooth away...[And] don't brush your teeth after breakfast, brush them beforehand. Because if you brush straight away, you're going to be damaging your enamel."

Human teeth are predominantly made up of mineralised tissues such as enamel, dentin and root cement. When you wake up in the morning, this is entirely covered in bacteria that needs to be removed before you eat.

Failing to do this will allow the bacteria from your breakfast to add on to whatever's already lingering, according to Dr Manouchehri. This bacteria, combined with the acidic effect of coffee, are among the incredibly common drivers of enamel erosion.

Over time, this may expose the layer of dentine which sits below the enamel, giving your teeth an undesirable yellowish tint.

Speaking on coffee specifically, Dr Manouchehri continued: "Wait at least 30 to 60 minutes – you don't actually have to brush your teeth, just rinse with some mouthwash or drink water."

In a separate point, she also added: "Never brush your teeth after you've just vomited [either]. This is probably all you wanna do after you've vomited, but actually the contents of the stomach are extremely acidic and your teeth are made up of minerals.

"So, when the contents of the stomach have come into the mouth, then the mouth is very acidic. And if you brush straight away, you're rubbing the acid onto the tooth even more. So, wait at least 30 to 60 minutes before you brush your teeth.

"What you can do instead is rinse out with some mouthwash to begin with and drink some water just to help neutralise the acid quicker."

Dr Manouchehri's thoughts follow a rather disturbing 2022 survey by Hive Business which revealed a surprising 39% of 25 to 34-year-olds brush their teeth less than once a week. Meanwhile, 36% of 35 to 44-year-olds have never used a mouthwash in their lives.

Her video has also left the public entirely baffled, with countless users commenting on her advice video. One wrote: "I've always brushed after breakfast before leaving home Minty breakfast? No thank you."

Another added: "I never brush my teeth," as someone else chimed in: "I feel so validated for always brushing before breakfast!"

What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below