We've all had this debate with a friend before: do you wet your toothbrush before you put the toothpaste in? Or after? Or not at all?

In reality, no one does the same thing, and everyone believes a little bit what they want about it... 

Big question, little answer!

First of all, it is not very useful to wet your brush before putting on the toothpaste. If it is not a quality toothbrush, it softens the bristles of the brush and therefore reduces its physical effectiveness. You can therefore opt for an electric toothbrush like the Y-Brush one which is suitable for everyone.We suggest that you do not wet your toothbrush before brushing: it clearly seems useless or even counterproductive and then, it avoids forgetting to turn off the tap between the beginning and the end of brushing.

We also advise against wetting your toothbrush after putting on the toothpaste: this can reduce the effect of fluoride by damaging the crystals inside the paste. In addition, the toothpaste will penetrate between the hairs while it is the tip of the hair that brushes and deposits fluoride on the teeth. The best mixture is toothpaste and saliva.

A particular active substance

The active ingredient in toothpaste is fluoride, and it has been proven that it has a real effect on health. Fluoride tends to reduce the natural degradation of bones (like its friend calcium).

We ingest it in several ways on a daily basis: salt contains it, some drugs also contain it and in some countries such as the United States, fluoridated water is very popular. Of course, if you swallow toothpaste during brushing, we absorb fluoride. It is therefore ingested either by absorption or only by deposition on the teeth. Spreading your fluoride consumption over the day is the best thing to do, especially when it is on the surface but also when it is ingested.

So how does it work?

Both teeth and bones are strengthened by fluoride. The main effect comes from the contact time between the fluoride and the teeth. Its presence prevents cavities. Fluorine is deposited in the micro cavities of the teeth to prevent bacteria from entering (+1000 ppm of fluorine in the toothpaste).

For people who are prone to repeated cavities, toothpastes with a higher fluoride content can be recommended: up to 5000 ppm. In France, toothpastes with more than 1500 ppm are considered as medicines. In fact, you will notice that most toothpastes contain about 1450 ppm. Toothpaste, as such, is therefore not a drug.

The vast majority of people think that fluoride acts only during the brushing process, i.e. from 30 seconds to 3 minutes depending on the person. This is completely false, in 2 minutes it would be absolutely useless, in fact it mixes with saliva during brushing and then remains in the mouth. We still have fluoride in our mouths more than an hour and a half after brushing. If you rinse your mouth too much after brushing, you remove all the remaining fluoride. Brushing your teeth perfectly in 10 seconds is possible!

If I'm against consuming it?

It has been proven that excessive fluoride consumption is harmful to the kidneys but can also lead to a disease called fluorosis. On the other hand, too small doses are useless.

Fluoride has also been shown to be useful for children. However, they are more exposed to the risk of fluorosis. But it should be kept in mind that by taking a very limited risk of fluorosis, the risk of cavities in them can be significantly reduced.

For children under 6 years of age, we will ensure that they do not swallow the toothpaste and we will put very little on their toothbrush.

If we observe a real effect of fluoride in children, in adults, it is more debatable. This is particularly true because they consume less sugar.

There are many sources of cavities: lack of fluoride, eating things that are too sweet, very acidic... Fluoride protects but does not protect against poor consumption. It makes saliva less acidic, kills highly acidic bacteria and prevents them from attacking teeth.

There are also fluoride-free toothpastes. Almost all brands offer one. For someone who has a lambda diet, it is a good thing to have a toothpaste containing fluoride. If your diet is already particularly fluoridated, it is absolutely not necessary.

Warning

Remember that if you rinse your mouth too much after brushing your teeth, fluoride will have almost no effect and your teeth will not be protected but simply cleaned.

WE DO WHAT WE WANT

Yes, it's true, even after I say that, I still wet my toothbrush before I brush my teeth. For me it's a reflex, not for my comfort but to try to clean it a little bit before using it. We know that you will surely continue with your current habits!

But so, which team are you from? #waterbefore or #waterafter or #nowaterneeded?