Honestly, I’ve wondered the same thing. My dentist keeps pushing the rinse, but I just use toothpaste and make sure not to rinse with water after. I mean, my teeth haven’t fallen out yet, so I figure it’s doing its job. I did try a fluoride rinse for a while, but it felt like overkill…and my wallet agreed. As long as your checkups are good, I don’t see the harm in keeping it simple.
I used to be in the “keep it simple” camp too, but then my kiddo’s dentist hit me with the guilt trip about cavities. Apparently, those little teeth are like sponges for sugar and chaos. Here’s what happened: we did just the toothpaste thing for a while—no rinse, just spit and done. But then my son started getting these tiny cavities, even though he’s not exactly pounding candy all day.
The dentist explained it in this way that actually stuck with me: toothpaste is like the base coat, but the rinse is the topcoat that seals the deal. She said it’s especially helpful for kids (or, let’s be honest, distracted adults) who might not brush thoroughly or for long enough. The rinse kind of swoops in and covers the spots we miss. I wasn’t thrilled about adding another step (especially during the nightly “brush your teeth or there’s no bedtime story” negotiations), but we gave it a shot.
Here’s our routine now, step-by-step:
1. Brush with fluoride toothpaste (I have to sing a song so he doesn’t bail after 10 seconds).
2. Spit, but don’t rinse with water—just like you said.
3. Swish with a fluoride rinse for about a minute. I set a timer, otherwise he’s done in 3 seconds flat.
Honestly, I was skeptical, but his last checkup was the first time we got a “no new cavities” report. My wallet grumbled a bit, but fewer fillings probably saves us money in the long run.
I get the “overkill” feeling, and if your checkups are good, maybe you’ve got a solid system going. For us, though, the rinse made a difference. I guess every mouth is a little different... or maybe my son’s teeth just have a sweet tooth of their own.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve actually read a few studies suggesting that using both paste and rinse can sometimes double up on fluoride more than necessary, especially if you’re already using a good toothpaste. Our dentist actually warned us about “overdoing it” with rinses and said for most kids, just brushing well (with supervision) and not rinsing with water afterward is enough. We tried adding a rinse for a couple months, but honestly, it just felt like another thing to stress about, and my daughter hated the taste. Her checkups have been fine, so we went back to basics. Maybe we just lucked out genetically, but I’m not convinced every kid needs the extra step.
- Most kids don’t need both if they’re already using a fluoride toothpaste.
- Overexposure can actually cause mild fluorosis, especially in younger kids.
- Sticking with brushing, skipping the rinse, and not rinsing with water after seems to work well for a lot of families.
- Out of curiosity, did your dentist mention anything about the best age to start or stop using rinses?
I’ve wondered about this too, especially since my youngest is super into all the “big kid” mouthwashes right now. Our dentist told us that as long as they’re using a fluoride toothpaste and not swallowing it, there’s usually no need for a separate rinse—at least until they’re older and can reliably spit everything out. I guess the risk of fluorosis is pretty real for the little ones, which honestly surprised me. I always thought more fluoride = better protection, but apparently there’s definitely such a thing as too much.
We used to do both paste and rinse (I thought it was extra protection), but then my oldest got those faint white spots on his front teeth. The dentist said it was probably from too much fluoride when he was younger. Now we just stick with brushing and don’t rinse with water after, like you mentioned. It feels weird at first not to rinse, but the kids got used to it after a while.
As for age, our dentist said mouthwash isn’t really necessary until they’re around 6 or 7, and even then only if they can spit everything out without swallowing. I guess some kids are ready earlier or later... depends on the kid, honestly. My nephew’s 8 and still can’t resist tasting the rinse.
I wish someone had told me about the “don’t rinse with water” thing sooner—it just wasn’t on my radar. Growing up, it was always brush, rinse, done. Kind of wild how much advice changes over time.
Curious if anyone else’s dentist mentioned anything different? Sometimes I feel like every office has their own take on this stuff.
