Do you rinse after brushing your teeth?

[Giraffe_Zen]

I brush and then my rinse is scope.

 

[Skippy918]

I swish and rinse a couple times.

 

[cayennews]

I rinse. I have never heard of this before.

 

[Diznygrl]

Funny, some years ago there was a thread here about tv show pet peeves or something to that effect, and I was curious as to why I never saw anyone on tv rinse their mouth after they spit out the toothpaste. I asked if this was a real thing that people do, and if I'm the weird one for rinsing with water. I don't believe anybody else on that thread ever said anything about how they also don't rinse, rather that they probably just do it that way on tv because they don't have time for it and have to keep the dialogue moving. So to now hear that this really is a 'thing' is interesting.

I always rinse out the toothpaste (and will continue to do so), but when I use a fluoride rinse, I do not, as it says in the directions not to, and to wait 30 minutes before eating or drinking. I guess logically toothpaste is also a type of fluoride, so it would sort of make sense that it too would need to 'sit' on the teeth for a while, but I never gave it any thought. Does the tooth 'polish' they use when you get your teeth cleaned at the dentist have fluoride in it? Because they rinse that off with water right away too.

 

[Moliphino]

I rinse.

Now I need to go home and read the toothpaste tube instructions...

Mine says to spit, but not to rinse. It also doesn't say NOT to rinse.

 

[Disneefun]

This is from the ADA's website:

A viral trend on TikTok shows users suggesting people not rinse after brushing their teeth with a fluoride toothpaste for added protection against cavities.

The verdict from dental experts?

Correct.

Those who prefer to rinse should rinse lightly with a small amount of water such as a sip from the hand or delay the rinse by about 20 minutes, said Brittany Seymour, D.D.S., an ADA spokeswoman and associate professor at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

Alternatives to rinsing include using fluoride mouthwash.

https://adanews.ada.org/huddles/should-you-rinse-after-brushing/

Huh. Who knew. All my dentists over the years have never once mentioned this.

I still have all my teeth, though, and few cavities so I guess I'm doing okay. I do swish the toothpaste in my mouth a bit after I brush just to really spread it around.

I suppose this will become more and more important, though, as political pressure campaigns cause more cities to drop fluoride from the water. You'll probably need whatever extra fluoride you can get, then, especially kids.