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Comment by pclmulqdq | Hacker News Reader

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pclmulqdq·

> I don't use a toothbrush or toothpaste, and haven't ever really, as my ASD makes it unbearable.

99% of the world does brush their teeth, so I don't see how this is relevant to their health.

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25% of the world population do not have access to drinkable water[0], brushing their teeth is a luxury for them.

[0]: https://toronto.citynews.ca/2023/03/22/un-26-of-world-lacks-...

You need zero water to brush your teeth with toothpaste. Many dentists even say it’s preferable to not rinse your brush before and not rinse your mouth after.

So when you go to brush your teeth you don't wet the toothpaste and toothbrush from the tap? Is it the fear of tap water that centers around this? I am curious about this as it seems the answers carry some cultural significance.

No - toothpaste is in part an abrasive. If it's wetter, the abrasive is less effective at removing biofilm/plaque, and the chemical components are diluted in situ. Your mouth is plenty wet enough as-is.

That implies toothpaste isn't designed with this water dilution in mind, as that is common practice. If I don't wet it beforehand it's too thick and doesn't get distributed as easily.

They can also just move where water is, right?

When you do so, which I do too, is the amount of fluoride you potentially swallow more than that in fluoridated water?

do they live in Utah?

You see there's a difference between world and Utah/USA. In Utah nearly 100% of the population has access to drinking water.

No, no they do not. Where do you make up these statistics?

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