Now, we know what you’re thinking: you’ve been brushing your teeth twice a day for pretty much your entire life, so it’s fair to assume you’ve mastered it by now…
Well, we hate to break it to you but that’s exactly what we thought too – until we discovered we’ve actually been making a HUGE mistake this whole time.
Hands up if you usually rinse your mouth after you’ve finished giving your pearly whites a good scrub. Yep, us too.
But, as we’ve just found out, you’re not actually meant to do this.
That’s according to two dental experts, Dr Mike Heffernan and Dr Toby Edwards-Lunn, who told The Telegraph that rinsing after brushing is one of the biggest oral hygiene errors you can make.
And the reason lies in your toothpaste…
‘The most important active ingredient in toothpaste is fluoride, which works by strengthening the outer surface of your teeth and making them more resistant to harmful acids,’ the explain.
‘So why on Earth would you want to rinse this valuable defensive shield away a few moments after brushing?
‘Millions of people are seemingly unaware of this crucial piece of advice: it is fine to spit out the excess toothpaste and foam in your mouth after brushing but please DO NOT RINSE. You’ll be throwing the fluoride baby out with the bathwater!’
Did you know this? Excuse us while we go re-evaluate our entire lives.
