The thing is, each style has valid benefits: Wetting before softens toothbrush bristles and rinses off debris. Wetting after ensures the toothpaste melts into your toothbrush so it doesn't roll off. Not wetting your toothbrush means there aren't extra steps between applying toothpaste and brushing.
You might have seen a flood of Twitter chatter sparked by a tweet reading, “Do ya'll wet the toothbrush first, or put toothpaste on first?” The response online was mixed, but our answer is pretty simple: Wetting your toothbrush is more a matter of preference and doesn't significantly change the success of brushing.
“Rinsing the mouth with water before brushing will help keep the damaging acids and sugars away from your teeth,” says Dr. Rozenberg. She recommends taking a swig of water and swishing it around for a little bit before swallowing (or spitting it out). Then, wait about a half hour before grabbing your toothbrush.
Don't rinse with water straight after toothbrushing
After brushing, spit out any excess toothpaste. Don't rinse your mouth immediately after brushing, as it'll wash away the concentrated fluoride in the remaining toothpaste.
Rinse, gargle, spit out the mouthwash and that should be enough. But don't use water. Wait at least half an hour after brushing your teeth to drink water or consume beverages.
When this happens, the harsh ingredients in your toothpaste cause the cells lining the insides of your cheeks to slough off, and as they collect in your mouth, this creates the white, slimy, stringy stuff.
If you want to play it safe, you should wait about 20 minutes after brushing your teeth to use an oral rinse. In a nutshell, skipping a rinse after brushing is better for your oral health because the fluoride coating on your teeth helps protect against cavities.
Rinsing your mouth can prematurely wash out the fluoride that is working on your teeth. By spitting out toothpaste then not rinsing it out with water, the fluoride in the toothpaste will remain in the mouth and continue to be effective.
Leaving the toothpaste on your teeth overnight will allow the enamel to be fed fluoride from the paste. This fluoride will prevent the breakdown of enamel and allow the rebuilding of demineralized enamel.
If you rinse after brushing you're removing all the fluoride that was just in your mouth. Fluoride is the chemical found in toothpaste; that's what makes it work! The reason that dentists tell you to brush for 2 minutes is that it gives the toothpaste enough time to properly work.
Proper Brushing Technique
Hold the bristles gently against the outside of your top teeth, near the gum line, at about a 45-degree angle upward. Sweep the brush gently back and forth over teeth and gums in soft strokes — or, if you prefer, use an elliptical (circular) motion to clean the teeth.
The Verdict. The experts agree that while nothing definite can be said for or against the potential benefits of gulping down morning saliva, there is certainly no harm in doing it.
Start with a dry toothbrush: A toothbrush that is soft and dry brush will scour away sticky bacterial plaque more effectively than a wet one. It's okay to 'relax' stiff bristles by running your thumb across them before you begin brushing.
“Gently brushing the skin is a form of physical exfoliation, meaning it can slough away dead skin, leaving it smoother,” Melissa Kanchanapoomi Levin, M.D., NYC dermatologist and founder of Entière Dermatology, tells SELF. “When you exfoliate on dry skin, the friction is increased as opposed to when the skin is wet.
Unless you've had oral surgery, it's generally recommended to use a salt water rinse after brushing and flossing your teeth. This is because brushing your teeth helps remove plaque and bacteria from your teeth and along the gums, while the salt water rinse helps reduce inflammation in your gums and other soft tissues.
Most people brush, floss and then use mouthwash. And some just brush, skipping the other two steps. As it turns out, it's actually more effective to floss, use mouthwash, then brush, according to dentists — and they don't recommend skipping any steps.
Brushing and flossing twice a day is the best way to remove plaque and keep your teeth and gums healthy.
In short, accidental swallowing of toothpaste is not harmful if ingested in small quantities.
So for children (and adults) swallowing toothpaste there is not harmful to the rest of the body in a health sense… Don't worry – they aren't being poisoned. However, the optimum approach for the development of children's adult teeth is for them to spit out the toothpaste rather than swallow it.
Tartar Buildup
The tartar itself is porous and is highly susceptible to discoloration and staining. Foods, beverages, and other factors can turn it a noticeable brown color as a result. The buildup of tartar on and between teeth is often the result of a lack of brushing and flossing on a regular basis.
If you wake up every morning and are met with a strange, white film coating the inside of your mouth, you might be wondering what could possibly be causing this to happen. This sticky, disgusting layer of film is called oral thrush, and it's normal to want to rid your mouth of the foul substance as quickly as possible!
Tartar – The bacteria in your mouth form a sticky layer on your teeth called plaque. If left untouched, plaque will eventually turn into a hard substance called tartar that can turn brown.