How to get DP to stop rinsing after brushing teeth?!

[NewYearNewUserNameForMe]

I know I have no jurisdiction over DP's face, mouth and oral hygiene habits

But DP rinses out his mouth a lot after brushing his teeth every time. Twice a day, copious amounts of water. A few years ago, the dentist told me and DP that rinsing wasn't good at all. I stopped. DP just carried on.

His teeth are going yellow and they've got weird brown lines on them. I've no idea if its connected to rinsing but surely rinsing isn't helping things?

I tell him occasionally he shouldn't rinse but he either bats my comment away because I'm not a dentist (fair play), tells me to stop policing him (dramatic but fair play), or comes up with some excuse as to why he has to rinse that particular time (bullshit because he does it every bloody time).

So I went for the kill. One day when he complained that his teeth were yellow I said it was because he rinses after brushing. He had a huff, carried on rinsing and said he didn't actually care about how he looks anyway.

I may be blowing it out of proportion but I really worry about this and what it'll mean for his dental health long term.

I've no idea why I'm posting this, it's playing on my mind.

Leaving toothpaste in vs rinsing it out - no (or very little) difference. The cleaning has already been done. I hate the taste of toothpaste and prefer to rinse for a fresher feeling and also to remove any leftover bits / crap following brushing.

Is recommended not too rinse, brush and spit out. If you rinse there’s no fluoride etc left on teeth to protect them. Personally I try not to rinse but I’m so used to do it that I forget more than times than I would like to

@WhatWouldChristineCagneyDo check out Lavera toothpaste, no nasties and they do a flouride one.

You are right. You are not supposed to rinse. It leaves protection in your mouth. No idea what you can say to make it stick. I told my husband once, he realised it made perfect sense and stopped doing it.

I was a 70s kid, we were taught to spit and rinse by dentists.

OP you are correct in that you shouldn’t rinse. Or use mouthwash straight after brushing, it washes the fluoride away.
Get him to see the hygienist regularly who will deal with the stains.
I have one tooth that is prone to staining badly. I go to the hygienist every 3 months and they remove all trace. I don’t know why some teeth are kore prone to staining but they are.
You’d be better off nagging him to go to the hygienist rather then about the rinsing.

My dentist told me it is a good idea to not rinse. Spit out excess yes but then no rinsing with plain water. It makes perfect sense that leaving a small amount of harmless toothpaste around the teeth will help with protection as the flouride is still working, albeit in a tiny way but better than nothing.

If a family member insists on rinsing then let them get on with it, it is their mouth and teeth. Look after your own and let others deal with theirs!

It won’t affect the staining or colour of his teeth, however some mouthwashes can cause staining also. But water won’t affect the colour of his teeth.

You’re told not to rinse after brushing as all your doing is washing away the fluoride in the toothpaste.. which means the active I hesitate by that prevents decay is being washed away by water. If you just spit after brushing its leg run contact with the teeth much longer thus having a beneficial affect of preventing decay more than someone who rinses after brushing.

I would be totally pissed off at someone trying to micromanage me like this.

OP leave the guy alone.

I was a 70s kid, we were taught to spit and rinse by dentists

You could smoke in hospitals then. The good ole days

THe rinsing is not the issue here- it's the OPs need to control her OH over something so trivial.

I take my post back - I meant spitting not rinsing but even so, I wouldn't try to control this. I imagine the discolouration is unconnected though. As an example, taking the antibiotic erythromycin can discolour teeth.

Ha and I am a dental nurse, my other half is a bigger for brushing waaaaay too hard, and scrubbing with an electric toothbrush, rinsed and won’t use interdental cleaning aids unless I literally do it for him (gross to you, normal for me lol)

But I’ve tried relentlessly to show and tell him how to brush properly but he can’t break the habit he’s already in. It kills me every time I see his splayed minging toothbrush head in the bathroom after a few days.

At least your other half brushes his teeth at night. Unlike mine.

This is the sort of good-natured rubbing that DH and I do

You are of course correct OP - rinse with mouthwash first, brush then floss. Or floss then brush, I can’t remember which . No rinse.

I'm in a different European country and neither my (excellent) dentist nor my dental hygienist has ever mentioned not rinsing. They do however strongly encourage people to use a product like Elmex Gelee once or twice a week. It has a really high fluoride content (12,500 ppm) and you brush your clean teeth with it for 2-3 minutes and leave at least half an hour before rinsing. It doesn't taste great, but you only have to do it once or twice a week which is the far lesser evil IMO. Maybe that could be a good alternative for your DH?

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ELMEX-gel-ELMEX-gelee-dental-hygiene-25-g-0-88-oz-best-cover-German-Product-/111304898356

Unless your mouthwash has fluoride in it then it’s the same affect as rinsing with water, it’s just washing away the good bit of the toothpaste and giving you month breath. But what good is minty breath with rotting teeth?

I’ve been on oral health training and we were told this, although the majority and this included dental nurses said they struggled to actually follow it. I try not to rinse but I do admit I still have a desire to do so as I hate the taste of toothpaste.

It’s really up to him how he brushes his teeth, leave the advice for the dentist to give.

Minty* not month

Are you married to an adult?

If so, leave him be.

I bet you’re going to be one of those nightmare mother in laws!

Leave him be. His teeth, his choice. If they all fall out he’ll be the one with dentures 🤷🏻‍♀️

gamerchick Them were the days

He's a secret smoker

Dramatic is definitely the right word here. Don't be so ridiculous, OP. Not rinsing may be the ideal, but rinsing doesn't make your teeth brown fgs. Oh and brushing after breakfast is not advised,so you're not following the guidelines either. Let's hope your dp doesn't feel the dramatic urge to knock your breakfast away

I was exaggerating for dramatic effect. I wasn't really planning to screech 'noooo' and knock the glass out of DP's hand.

YABU to make a big deal over a minor detail
Nope, not making it a big deal. I said that mention it to him occasionally. It pisses me off like the way other MNers get pissed off by their DP's dawdling, or weird way their DP's watch DP or their DP's hair. Not a big deal, just something that bugs me and worries me a bit.