My kid’s ortho gave us the same advice—just spit, then go straight in with the rinse, no water. At first my daughter hated the “filmy” feeling, but after a while she didn’t even notice it anymore. I think the habit was harder for me to get used to than for her! She hasn’t had any new cavities since we started doing it this way, so I’m sticking with it, even if it feels a bit weird sometimes.
At first my daughter hated the “filmy” feeling, but after a while she didn’t even notice it anymore. I think the habit was harder for me to get used to than for her!
I get where you’re coming from about the “filmy” feeling—my teenager still complains about it sometimes. But I’ve always wondered if skipping the water rinse is really necessary. Personally, I prefer to just spit and leave a tiny bit of paste behind (not a full-on rinse OR the sticky layer), especially since some of those fluoride rinses can make my mouth feel dry. Maybe it’s just habit, but my dentist said as long as you’re not rinsing with lots of water, you’re getting the benefits. Just my two cents—sometimes these routines are more about what you’ll actually stick with long-term.
Personally, I prefer to just spit and leave a tiny bit of paste behind (not a full-on rinse OR the sticky layer), especially since some of those fluoride rinses can make my mouth feel dry.
That’s pretty much my struggle too—if I don’t rinse at all, I feel like I’ve got toothpaste glue on my teeth, but if I rinse too much, it’s like, what’s the point? My dentist said “spit, don’t rinse” but honestly, is there any actual harm if I do a quick swish with just a bit of water? Or am I sabotaging the fluoride magic? I’m new to this whole “don’t rinse” thing and kinda nervous about messing it up.
My dentist said “spit, don’t rinse” but honestly, is there any actual harm if I do a quick swish with just a bit of water? Or am I sabotaging the fluoride magic?
I totally get where you’re coming from. My kid’s dentist gave us the same advice, and it felt so weird at first—like, leaving toothpaste behind just seemed wrong after a lifetime of rinsing. The first week or two, my kid kept complaining about the “weird film” on their teeth, and honestly, I was tempted to let them rinse just to stop the fussing.
We ended up doing a compromise: they spit really well and then take one tiny sip of water to swish and spit again. Dentist said that’s still better than a full-on rinse. Haven’t noticed any issues since, and it seems like the fluoride’s still doing its job (no new cavities so far). I wouldn’t stress too much about getting it perfect every single time. It’s a process, and you’ll find what works for you without losing all the benefits.
I get the urge to rinse—honestly, it feels like I’m breaking some ancient tooth-brushing rule when I don’t. But here’s the thing: that “weird film” is basically fluoride doing its thing. The compromise with a tiny sip of water sounds good, but I’ve read that even a little rinse can wash away most of the fluoride you just brushed on. I know, it’s annoying, but I just spit and deal with the aftertaste. Feels like a small price for fewer cavities... plus, you get used to it after a while!
