To wonder when we stopped rinsing?

[ArgyMargy]

Apparently when you brush your teeth you are supposed to spit, not rinse. This is official guidance from the NHS and government. Am I the only one who thinks that this is not only daft but a little bit disgusting?

So you mean put toothpaste on brush, brush, spit it out and then don't brush some more with a rinsed off toothbrush to get ride of the toothpaste? That's what I was taught as a child. But I stopped doing that years ago after hearing the advice not to rinse. It doesn't bother me.

Rinsing is fine as long as it is done with mouth wash or something containing fluoride. Rinsing with water is no good because it rinses away the fluoride and therefore any protection your toothpaste gives you.

Not to rinse was certainly the advice I was given by a visiting dental hygienist who did a presentation at a health centre in North London where I used to get my newborn weighed, 2.5 years ago. I don't rinse, and have taught my toddler not to rinse.

Well I just can't not rinse - not after 50 years of habitually rinsing twice a day. By the way I haven't had a filling for over 20 years so I can't be doing it completely wrong...

I didn't rinse after brushing before my last dental appointment (after reading an mn thread), and I was told off for having 'gunk' between my teeth (later proven by a quick rinse that it was toothpaste residue). I think it's a case of damned if you do, damned if you don't. how do you know it's completely clean if you don't rinse first? Personally I would rather rinse then mouthwash than risk smiling with a gobful of toothpaste gunk.

"There is plenty of fluoride added to drinking water to arrest cavities."

No there isn't.

The people who are opposed to preventing tooth decay unless every single person explicitly asks for and permits it, have held up this simple measure for years.

Luckily, UK salt is iodised. I met an Italian medic who told me their salt is not, and they have a much higher incidence of certain unpleasant abnormalities.

for example, they've given up.

Piglet - fluoridation is decided locally/regionally. We have it here and rates of tooth decay in children are lower than neighbouring areas that don't have it.

We had teeth brushing lessons in a mobile unit at school 40 plus years ago and we didn't rinse then, so it's not a new thing by any means. Can't see why it's disgusting.

Sorry Piglet - I see you already know that!

How do you have noticeable toothpaste residue after brushing your teeth? If you brush for the correct time then it vanishes and leaves an invisible film.

Surely if you rinse, you then have to spit?

UK salt isn't iodized unless you buy the specific iodized stuff. Cow's feed is iodized though, it comes out in their milk so if you have cow's milk then you get enough iodine.

An ex colleague of mine used to brush her teeth with Vim.

Disappointed, thought was about rinsing your dishes and cups!

Error - I think it is more of a "letting go" than a spit.

Bambini - sorry about that. We could start that thread but even Fairy Liquid have stopped doing those adverts where the woman puts the plates in the rack covered in suds. I think we have all moved on from not rinsing plates, have we not?

I rinse before brushing to get rid of food debris. Very hard to change the habit of a lifetime though. Tbh, if I was told to rinse my mouth out with warm piss I'd probably do it to prevent a trip to the dentist

Our dentist told us to brush first thing in the morning as well, before breakfast, and we are massively struggling with this in fact we haven't managed to do it at all. Old habits do die hard.

Margot do people really not brush their teeth when they first get up? I had no idea people did this. How do you cope with morning breath? Surely it makes your breakfast taste bad? Not to mention conversation... I don't have massively great routines but the one thing I cannot do is talk to another person or even breathe with my mouth open until I have brushed my teeth in the morning. I feel positively slovenly rebellious if I have a cup of coffee before I brush

Me too control. I have to brush my teeth first thing before doing anything else and this is what i do with the kids now too. And we're all spitters not rinsers. I didn't know that was recommended though.

Venus Not everywhere has fluoride in the water. We don't (South Yorkshire).

Toothpaste makes food taste worse than morning breath does, though

"Margot do people really not brush their teeth when they first get up?"

I don't. I brush after breakfast. I don't have a bad taste in my mouth in the mornings when I wake up. OH does because he struggles to breath through his nose at night and snores with his mouth open.

I brush about 45 mins after breakfast, so do the DCs, it's the last thing we do before leaving the house. No morning breath problems here.