Sharing is caring, according to this dental hygienist.
Jess Potter, a dental hygienist who starred on the UK version of the reality show “Married at First Sight,” took to TikTok to make a case as to why you should be sharing a toothbrush with your entire family.
“Do you know that you can share a toothbrush to save money?” Potter said at the beginning of the 51-second clip, which has already reached 44,000 views on the social media app.
She explained that this is something she tells a lot of her patients to do.
“I always recommend getting an electric toothbrush, but I know at the moment with everything that’s going on, it’s a struggle with money,” the hygienist said.
Potter then advised that you can share one toothbrush with your family — but not the regular kind.
“That means with an electric toothbrush,” she explained. “You can have one handle, and multiple heads. You can have one each and just interchange them.”
“I have had many conversations with patients over the years who cannot afford multiple brushes,” Potter told The Post. “They just cannot afford this. I just thought this would be an amazing way to ‘share a toothbrush’ without actually doing so.”
“A lot of patients love this idea and even one of my patients come back after following this advice,” she noted.
Potter also said that you didn’t have to buy the fancy electric toothbrush heads from brands like Oral B — any old one from the drugstore will work.
“I do also always say that any electric toothbrush purchased should never be at full price as, it’s always half price somewhere,” she said. “Oral B Pro 3 is the best toothbrush that has a brilliant clean, along with a pressure sensor to prevent damage, at the cheapest price.”
The brush is also the most effective, Potter noted.
“Pressure sensors are key in preventing overbrushing which is known as recession. This is where the gum looks like it has traveled down the tooth, exposing the root, which causes sensitivity and is exposing a vulnerable part of the tooth.”
In the comments section of her TikTok post, many people admitted that they had been doing the same thing with their families for years.
“I do this, I can’t afford to buy 4 electric toothbrushes, so we all have our own heads with a different colored band at the bottom,” one user shared.
Another agreed, writing, “My family have been doing this the past 20 years.”
“We do this in my house thought that was normal,” someone else typed.
However, some couldn’t believe the dental hygienist’s suggestion.
“No just no,” one viewer commented. “My ocd just can’t never going to happen.”
A second user wrote, “I mentioned that to my dentist and she said that I’m disgusting!”
This isn’t the first time a dental expert has given out some serious advice about brushing your teeth. One dentist from London advised not to brush your teeth immediately after eating breakfast, citing that it will “weaken” your teeth.
“The precious enamel that coats the teeth is temporarily weakened after eating due to the acids present in food, so by brushing right after you eat, you risk damaging it,” said Dr. Richard Marques.
There’s also some good news when it comes to brushing. According to a handful of 2019 studies, having good oral health could “stall” your risk for Alzheimer’s disease.