Or, put another way, would you prefer to have your mouth feel fresh and clean immediately upon waking up or save that feeling until after you’ve eaten?

Those of you who wait would argue that it’s silly to brush your teeth shortly before eating when it’s actually most effective to do so immediately after eating, while the rest of you may consider minty toothpaste a vital part of your waking-up routine. (Toothpaste doesn’t have to be minty, of course, but we hope you’ve graduated from the bubblegum flavor.) There are pros and cons to each approach, but no real consensus among dentists as to which is better — the important thing is that you brush twice a day.