Stop Adding Water? Are We Brushing Our Teeth All Wrong?

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL-FM) - When it comes to brushing our teeth, it's a pretty simple and self explanatory process.

You grab your toothbrush, put some toothpaste on it, run it under the water, and then get to brushing, right?

Well, yes, but there's actually a step in there you're probably doing that could be leading to less than desirable results.

The fix is simple, and when you think about it, makes a lot of sense.

Should You Wet Your Toothpaste Before Brushing Your Teeth?

Before we go any further, when it comes to brushing your teeth, wetting your toothpaste before you brush or not comes down to personal preference, and you can just keep doing you.

Wetting your toothbrush first makes the toothpaste foam a little faster and can soften the bristles if they feel stiff. Some people just like the feel better.

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That being said, there apparently is something to be said for not wetting your toothpaste and toothbrush before brushing.

It's called dry brushing.

Should I Be Dry Brushing When I Use My Toothbrush?

Do you not wet your toothbrush or toothpaste when you brush? It's called dry brushing and there's a pretty good argument to be made as to why this is how we should all be brushing our teeth.

Although officially the ADA doesn't take a stance either way on wet or dry brushing.

From colgate.com -

Wetting your toothbrush before brushing is generally a matter of personal preference.

 

There’s some debate about wetting toothpaste before brushing and its effects on efficacy, but the ADA doesn’t provide official guidance.

OK, so why should we consider dry brushing?

Dry brushing is often considered slightly better for protecting your teeth because of the fluoride effect.

Water dilutes toothpaste. When you brush dry, the fluoride stays at full strength and can better strengthen your enamel.

Studies suggest dry brushing might help with mechanical plaque removal since the toothpaste is a bit grittier before it gets diluted.

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You've probably heard of the toothpaste trick to help fix foggy vehicle headlights, right?

The grit in the toothpaste helps to grind away the grime on the headlight, and dry brushing can have the same effect on your teeth.

So, if you feel like your teeth just don't feel as clean as you want them to after you brush, try dry brushing!

Read more at colgate.com.