Toothpaste - To rinse or not to rinse?

First up, let’s just say it… Toothpaste is weird! As crazy as it sounds, I read a whole textbook on toothpaste a few years ago. Pretty much because I liked the image on the front.

It’s best to think of toothpaste like a cream, as it literally sinks into the tooth. A lot of people think of toothpaste as a soap, as it bubbles up and goes everywhere. Whilst this may be the case - it certainly helps remove debris and plaque, it is just as much a cream as it is a soap.

Literature even suggests that if you leave it on the teeth at the end of brushing (i.e. spit it out, don’t rinse), it has a better opportunity to sink in and work more effectively. This is the weirdest thing in the world if you ask me. I’ve never been able to do it myself. So what I do is, I rinse (to get the grit out) and then I smear a little bit on at the very end, spit, and walk away!

Dr Tom Shumack
BSc, BDent (Hons), GradDip(Oral Implants), MRACDS