To wet or not to wet?

Tooth brushing dental hygiene procedures debate sparks Twitter storm!

It all started with a simple question posted on Twitter: ‘Do y’all wet the toothbrush first, or put toothpaste on first?’ The frenzied reaction unleashed by this seemingly innocent query was fast and furious, with a number of what can only be described as ‘quite strident’ responses being posted by people who evidently felt very strongly about the subject. We suppose that in this highly partisan social media age we shouldn’t have been greatly surprised… but we were! So just what was the result of this online dental hygiene procedures debate?The first responses from the Twitter warriors appeared to support the dry supporters. ‘Put toothpaste on first’. ‘I don’t wet at all’. ‘Just put toothpaste on and then wet the brush’.But as this dental hygiene procedures argument expanded, the opposing views began to emerge. ‘I wet the toothbrush first, add the toothpaste, wet again, then brush’. ‘I rinse the toothbrush, put the toothpaste on and then rinse again’.One person wrote: ‘I put mouthwash on the dry brush and then toothpaste!’ Another person said: ‘I squeeze the toothpaste on my tongue!’ Someone even wrote: The world can be split into two kinds of people – those who wet their toothbrush before brushing and vile, disgusting freaks!’That last one was a bit over the top in our opinion!So is there a right and wrong way to apply toothpaste? We have to say that we don’t think it really matters, but good dental hygiene procedures should include wetting the brush (either before or after applying toothpaste) so that the foaming agent in the toothpaste can get to work.The other very important piece of cleaning advice we recommend is that you should always use toothpaste that contains fluoride. In addition you should always clean your teeth for at least two-minutes, twice a day – as soon as you get up in a morning and last thing before you got to bed at night. But remember, brushing only cleans approximately 60 percent of the surface of your teeth – which means 40 percent (the areas between your teeth) remains untouched. Which that is why we always recommend that you regularly floss or use an interdental brush to clean between your teeth.One final piece of good dental hygiene procedures advice from our Dentist is that you do not neglect to arrange regular check-up examinations with your dentist so that the condition of your teeth is frequently monitored and any potential problems can be spotted and dealt with before they develop into major concerns.Wetting your toothbrush before putting on toothpaste or wetting after the toothpaste application? It’s your preference… your choice.If you would like any further cleaning advice or you would like to discuss the recommended dental hygiene procedures, please do not hesitate to contact us. You can call us on 0161 951 7295 to arrange a FREE CONSULTATION or you can contact us by using the online booking form on our Appointments page.