24 April 2023 , 14:40
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With so many toothpaste brands on the market promising us the whitest teeth and freshest breath going, there is a lot of pressure to splash out on oral hygiene.
But one dental hygienist has shared a fact about toothpaste that has got people questioning everything they knew, as she said that toothpaste doesn't actually clean teeth - so people need to stop spending their cash on expensive types because it's a waste of money.
Jess Potter, who posts on TikTok as @jesspotter_xx, captioned her video: "Stop spending £££ on toothpaste!"
Jess said: "Toothpaste doesn't clean your teeth, so stop spending so much money on it.
"I literally have patients that come in and have spent seven, eight, even £10 on the toothpaste and I'm like why? They are all the same, just get a cheap one!"
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She then went on to share that the thing that cleans teeth is the actual brushing motion.
Jess continued: "The way to clean our teeth is to use an electric toothbrush and use some floss and interdental brushes, in between the teeth where the brush can't get to, and it's to remove the plaque bacteria.
"Why do we have toothpaste? The reason we have toothpaste is because it has fluoride in it. Now we need fluoride to protect our teeth. It protects our teeth against decay and acid erosion.
"The way to know that you've got the right amount of toothpaste is to literally just check the back of the box."
She then went on to explain that the fluoride content should be 1450 parts per million, or ppm. Jess said it can be as one whole number on the packaging, or two numbers like 1100, and then 350, so you add them together and it's 1450.
The dental pro added: "This is the correct amount of fluoride that anyone over the age of 12 needs.
"Now I went into one of the local shops and found these three tubes of toothpaste all for £1, and they had the correct amount of fluoride in."
She then reiterated the point that people shouldn't be spending so much on toothpaste, reminding people that once they've finished brushing to "spit, and don't rinse" as the fluoride keeps working for 30 minutes."
In the comments, people thanked Jess for the tips, with one writing: "Thank you so much!!! Toothpaste has become ridiculously expensive. There's no need!!!"
Someone asked: "So when should you use mouthwash then?", and Jess clarified: "At a separate time to brushing."
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"No rinse?", another wrote, with a shocked emoji.
Did you know this about fluoride? Let us know in the comments.