the minty rinse makes me feel cleaner than just toothpaste sticking around.
I totally get that—it’s hard to shake the habit when that minty taste feels like the “real” clean. I used to worry I was missing something if I skipped mouthwash, but my dentist said toothpaste alone is enough if you don’t rinse right away. Still, I get anxious if my mouth doesn’t feel fresh, so sometimes I just do a quick rinse with water and try not to stress about it. You’re not alone in feeling weird about switching things up.
- Here’s the scoop: dentists keep telling me the best way to get fluoride working is to brush, spit, and then don’t rinse with water. The leftover toothpaste keeps doing its thing.
- If you love that mouthwash zing, try using a fluoride rinse *instead* of a regular mouthwash, but not right after brushing—wait a bit or use it at a different time.
- Personally, I can’t stand the sticky toothpaste feeling, so I compromise and just do a super quick water swish. Not textbook perfect, but my teeth haven’t fallen out yet...
- The “clean” feeling is all in your head anyway—bacteria don’t care about mint flavor.
That sticky toothpaste feeling after brushing drives me nuts too, but I’ve learned to just tolerate it for the sake of my teeth. My dentist swears by the “spit, don’t rinse” thing—says it really does help, especially as we get older and enamel gets weaker. I’ll admit, sometimes I cheat and do a tiny rinse if it’s just too much. Haven’t noticed any disasters yet, but I do think my teeth are less sensitive since I started leaving more fluoride on. The minty clean sensation is nice, but honestly, it fades fast... I’d rather have fewer cavities than a super fresh mouth for five minutes.
The minty clean sensation is nice, but honestly, it fades fast...
I totally get the urge to rinse—sometimes that sticky feeling is just too much. I’m in braces right now, and my ortho said the same thing: spit, don’t rinse. Honestly, it’s helped with those white spots you can get around brackets. Curious if anyone’s tried using a fluoride rinse after brushing instead? Wonder if that would be overkill or actually help more...
I hear you on the sticky feeling—sometimes it just doesn’t feel “done” unless you rinse. But I’ve actually tried using a fluoride rinse after brushing (without rinsing off the paste first), and my dentist said it might not be necessary if you’re already using a good fluoride toothpaste. There’s a point where more isn’t always better, and you could end up washing away some of the benefits by overdoing it. Still, I get wanting that extra protection, especially with braces. For me, just spitting out the excess and leaving it at that seemed to help with sensitivity and staining around brackets more than piling on extra rinse. Kind of surprised me, honestly...
