A dentist has startled her social media followers by revealing you are not meant to rinse your mouth after brushing your teeth.
In a video she uploaded on her @annapetersondentalTikTok channel, Anna Peterson advises people to leave toothpaste in their mouth rather than rinsing with water.
Many of her followers were shocked, with one hitting back in the comments: “What? Everyone rinses with water after brushing.
“Who is leaving toothpaste on their teeth?”
In response, Anna doubled down on her message in a new video filmed in her dental practice.
“All you are meant to do is just spit out the excess toothpaste, don’t rinse it off with water,” she says.
(Image: TikTok / @annapetersondental)
The video was watched just under a million times and people were still fiercely divided into the rinse and no-rinse camps.
One user said: “Why would you rinse? It’s supposed to stay there to protect your teeth.”
A second chimed in: “After reading the comment section not only am I worried that people don’t know this but they are reacting science.”
Someone else argued: “Every single dentist I’ve ever seen in my life has me rinse my mouth at their practice with mouthwash or water.”
(Image: TikTok / @annapetersondental)
“If I don’t rinse I get mouth ulcers, took me 25 years to realise it was the toothpaste itself causing the issue,” commented another viewer.
Meanwhile, other people argued that rules are different in different countries, and in some parts of the world fluoride is added to tap water, in others it is not.
It’s probably safest to inspect your own brand of toothpaste and follow the instructions.
Anna previously revealed that sugar-free food and drinks are not necessarily better for dental health if they contain sweeteners.
She said: “Diet drinks are very acidic and this acidity dissolves the enamel of the tooth, weakens the enamel, and in turn causes cavities.”