Why Does My Stomach Hurt After I Brush My Teeth? (We Have the Answer!)

Brushing your teeth is an essential task that dentists recommend performing at least twice a day for clean, white, and healthy teeth. However, if your stomach begins to hurt after each time you brush your teeth, it can soon become a chore. As such, it’s essential to learn why your stomach can ache when practicing good oral hygiene.

After brushing your teeth in the morning, your stomach can hurt due to hyperacidity (not necessarily due to brushing). It could also hurt due to accidentally eating some of the toothpaste, having an allergic reaction to the toothpaste, or drinking strong liquids right before brushing your teeth, such as coffee.

Maintaining good oral hygiene should not normally cause pain. To help you better understand why brushing might cause issues, let’s look into the above reasons for stomach pain in detail. We will also cover the influence of both toothpaste and soap getting into your eyes.

Why Does My Stomach Hurt After I Brush My Teeth? (In Detail)

In this section, let’s cover five key reasons for stomach pain after brushing.

Ingesting Toothpaste

You should not directly consume toothpaste since it can lead to your stomach becoming upset. Toothpaste contains a few ingredients called sodium fluoride and triclosan, which, if you eat in large amounts, can be very toxic. Moreover, if you ingest enough toothpaste, it may lead to a blockage in your intestines and lead to you experiencing convulsions.

Toothpaste Allergy

If you have an unknown allergy to your regular toothpaste, it can cause your stomach to begin hurting after every time you brush your teeth since it can cause hypersensitivity. Some toothpaste contains common ingredients such as menthol and peppermint, which can result in allergic reactions.

Another ingredient in toothpaste is propylene glycol, a thick and colorless liquid that helps maintain the consistency of toothpaste. Individuals who are allergic to propylene glycol may typically feel skin irritation and get issues such as contact dermatitis. Regarding your stomach, it can also cause pain and nausea regardless of whether you ingest it or it touches your skin.

In addition, natural oils and fluoride in your toothpaste can also cause an allergic reaction that leads to an upset stomach. For example, some kinds of toothpaste use cloves and cinnamon essential oils, which causes allergies.

Hyperacidity

Hyperacidity is the excessive production of acid in your stomach and can lead to discomfort, irritation, and sometimes a burning sensation in your abdomen. If you are experiencing acid reflux early in the morning after brushing, it could just be a result of hyperacidity and not to do with brushing your teeth.

Drinking Liquids Before Brushing

It is possible for you to get an upset stomach after brushing your teeth if you have something strong to drink beforehand, especially early in the morning. If you drink coffee, certain teas, or energy drinks a few minutes before brushing, it can lead to your stomach feeling uncomfortable for the next hour or so.

However, it should be okay if you only have a few sips of water right before brushing your teeth. As long as you don’t drink stronger liquids, you should not feel any pain or irritation in your stomach.

Gag Reflex

Your gag reflex is there to protect you from having items get stuck in your windpipe. However, having a strong gag reflex can also cause your stomach to contract when performing regular tasks like brushing your teeth. Brushing the back of your mouth or tongue can trigger your gag reflex and make you feel nauseous, leading to stomach pain.

What Happens If You Accidentally Get Toothpaste in Your Eye?

Sometimes, brushing your teeth can become messy, leading to toothpaste getting into your sensitive eyes. The chemicals and ingredients in the toothpaste, particularly fluoride, can cause sharp pain and force your eyes to close. It may also lead to irritation for a good few minutes, even if you get all the toothpaste out of your eyes.

Does Toothpaste Make Your Eyes Red?

Getting toothpaste in your eye can also cause it to become red. It should return to its normal color a few minutes after you remove the toothpaste from your eye. However, if your eye remains red even after an entire day, it might be a good idea to see a doctor to prevent further damage.

Does Toothpaste Make Your Eyes Water?

Toothpaste contains a lot of different ingredients that can irritate your eyes and cause them to water. In particular, several brands of toothpaste contain sodium lauryl sulfate, which is also in several types of cosmetics. If sodium lauryl sulfate gets into your eye, it will lead to pain, itching, and even watery eyes.

Can You Go Blind From Getting Soap in Your Eye?

Getting soap in your eye will not lead to blindness. Since you can use soap across your face and body, it contains no toxic ingredients that have severely detrimental effects if you accidentally get it on your eyes. At most, soap will cause a burning sensation in your eyes and redness for a short time before your eyes return to normal.

What to Do If You Get Toothpaste or Soap in Your Eyes?

If you get soap or toothpaste in your eyes, you have to quickly clean them to limit irritation and the burning sensation that follows. First, ensure you wash your hands, so you don’t introduce any other germs or bacteria to your eyes.

Next, use lukewarm water to wash your eyes. Fill a clean container with the water and place your face in the container. Once your face is in the water, you should open and close your eyes several times so that you can remove the toothpaste or soap.

Conclusion

Overall, there are plenty of potential reasons why your stomach may hurt after brushing your teeth, some of the most common being an allergic reaction to the toothpaste or even ingesting the toothpaste directly. Toothpaste and other hygiene products like soap can also be very bad for your eyes, causing irritation, redness, and sharp pain.