Many dentists recommend starting to brush their teeth without toothpaste. In particular, for a thorough cleaning, the teeth should be washed first without toothpaste and then with it.
The usefulness of the so-called dry brushing would be justified by the fact that the toothbrush, used alone, performs a better mechanical cleaning, which will then be completed by the toothpaste, containing specific detergents and other substances useful for the health of the teeth.
The hostility towards toothpaste comes from that much appreciated feeling of freshness and cleanliness, given by its generous use; perceiving smooth teeth and a fresh breath, in fact, is not an absolute guarantee that the plaque has been correctly removed, indeed, in most cases it is only an illusion. Here, then, that passing the toothbrush without toothpaste on the teeth causes the subject to learn to recognize the plaque, find it and remove it, thus learning the correct brushing technique. For the same purpose, after cleaning with dry cleaning, plaque-revealing tablets can be used initially, to understand whether brushing without toothpaste has been effective or not.
The recommendation to start brushing your teeth without toothpaste is especially valid for children (who must learn the correct brushing technique). For newborns up to the first year of life, parents should brush their teeth without toothpaste (which should therefore not be used before or after); this to avoid problems with fluorosis deriving from the ingestion of the product.
In adults and children, on the other hand, after completing the dry brushing, also of the tongue (very important to prevent halitosis) it is good to apply on the toothbrush the toothpaste indicated by the dentist, useful depending on the case for the intake of fluoride or other active ingredients important for tooth health. In any case, it is not necessary to use a lot of tooth-making; the quantities suggested by dentists are in fact much lower than those shown by advertising spots: about 1 centimeter for adults, a pea in children.
Remember: you can clean your teeth properly without toothpaste, but not without a toothbrush! The toothpaste is just a cleaning aid, what matters is the rubbing action of the brush bristles, which can only be aided by the suspension effect of the dirt particles made by the toothpaste.
