Expert Shares Why You Should Drink Water Before Brushing Your Teeth Every Morning

We all know brushing your teeth in the morning is non-negotiable for fresh breath and oral hygiene. But what if there should be a small shift in your routine that could improve your digestion, boost your metabolism, and even enhance your oral health? Well, this practise is drinking water before brushing your teeth. As counterintuitive as it may sound (at least for all of us wanting to get rid of morning breath), but more and more health experts are talking about this simple habit as a powerful first step to better health. 

Benefits of Drink Water Before Brushing Teeth

A few reasons why you should drink water before brushing teeth, according to our expert, Dr Bhumesh Tyagi, Consultant, General Medicine and Physician, Shardacare, Health City, Noida, are:

1. Flushes out overnight toxins

As you sleep, your body detoxifies, repairing, rebuilding, and expelling waste. Your mouth is a part of this process, filling with bacteria and toxins during the night. Drinking water immediately upon waking assists in:

• Rehydrating your body after six to eight hours of fluid restriction
• Stimulating kidney and liver activity
• Expelling built-up toxins prior to digestion

Brushing first will eliminate some bacteria from your mouth, yet drinking water first before brushing guarantees your internal detox remains effective.

2. Boosts Your Metabolism

Drinking a glass of water upon waking can increase your metabolic rate by as much as 30%, multiple studies suggest. Hydration wakes up your body, which:

• Accelerates digestion
• Enhances calorie burning
• Helps with weight management

Waking up with water before eating or carrying out any hygiene routine primes your body for top performance.

Also Read: How To Prevent Vibrio Vulnificus - The Flesh-Eating Bacteria Behind Rising Coastal Infections

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3. Shields Your Oral Microbiome

Your mouth is not only a battleground for bacteria, it's a balanced environment. Saliva that accumulates overnight carries enzymes and beneficial bacteria that defend your teeth and gums.

As soon as you brush when you wake up, you remove these beneficial agents. Drinking water first serves to:

• Swallow and dilute unsafe bacteria
• Leave your natural oral flora undisturbed
• Prevent upsetting the pH balance of your mouth

That is, water keeps your body's good bacteria in place until you wash them out with toothpaste.

4. Prepares Your Digestive System

Water in the morning primes the digestive system. Imagine the intestines as being awoken by a friendly poke as opposed to a jolt of coffee or food. Advantages are due to this:

• Smooth bowel movements
• Less chance of constipation
• Improved nutrient absorption when you finally eat

Brushing first before you hydrate puts that digestive readiness off, and your body could be sluggish for longer than necessary.

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5. Increases Skin Health and Energy

Morning dehydration might cause you to feel tired, have a dull complexion, and struggle to concentrate. Drinking water prior to brushing assists:

• To replace lost moisture
• To increase skin elasticity and radiance
• To enhance mental clarity for the day
• Your morning radiance doesn't begin with toothpaste, it begins with a glass of water.

However, note that this does not mean that you skip brushing at all. Brushing is still necessary for oral hygiene. The takeaway here is timing hydrate first, then brush. Here's a simple morning routine to try:

• Wake up
• Drink one to two glasses of room temperature water
• Wait 10 to 15 minutes (stretch, meditate, get ready for the day)
• Brush your teeth
• Proceed with your morning routine

Bottomline

This small adjustment in your morning routine, which is hydrating before brushing, can bring surprising rewards to your digestion, metabolism, skin, and overall well-being. Occasionally, it's the smallest things that matter the most. So tomorrow morning, before you grab for the toothpaste, grab a glass of water instead.