# Do you wet your toothbrush before brushing? (a poll) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 25, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973 "2004-10-25T01:47:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elysian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@Elysian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysian)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973/1 "2004-10-25T01:47:32Z")
For me: put toothpaste on toothbrush and then brush. For my husband and friends: put toothpaste on brush, douse in water, brush teeth. Which is more common? ---
**Author:** ![Badge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Badge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badge)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973/2 "2004-10-25T01:51:59Z")
I wet my toothbrush, apply the paste, then brush. ---
**Author:** ![pokey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973/3 "2004-10-25T01:55:16Z")
I used to wet it until a couple of years ago when I read on an Indian dental health website that you should not wet it since wetting it will just increase the amount of foam and bring about the spit reflex before you are finished brushing. I found that to be some sagely advice! ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973/4 "2004-10-25T01:58:43Z")
Water, toothpaste, brush. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973/5 "2004-10-25T02:00:21Z")
Water, paste, water, brush ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973/6 "2004-10-25T02:05:33Z")
Paste, water, brush ---
**Author:** ![Keapon\_Laffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e274bd/32.png) [@Keapon\_Laffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keapon_Laffin)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973/7 "2004-10-25T02:09:11Z")
Water first. I like to rinse my toothbrush to make sure its clean and hasn’t picked up any dust/dirt/bathroom-particles. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973/8 "2004-10-25T02:11:19Z")
water paste water brush ---
**Author:** ![Elysian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@Elysian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysian)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973/9 "2004-10-25T02:11:51Z")
> [@pokey](#): > > I used to wet it until a couple of years ago when I read on an Indian dental health website that you should not wet it since wetting it will just increase the amount of foam and bring about the spit reflex before you are finished brushing. > > I found that to be some sagely advice! Hah! I knew I was right! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973/10 "2004-10-25T02:14:56Z")
water, paste, water, brush ---
**Author:** ![Standup\_Karmic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Standup\_Karmic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Standup_Karmic)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973/11 "2004-10-25T02:28:23Z")
Call me Gumby, cuz I’m with **pokey**. I used to wet my brush, but found that not doing so kept the foaming action _significantly_ down, which led to me being able to brush for longer before a spit reflex comes into play. ---
**Author:** ![START](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@START](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/START)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973/12 "2004-10-25T02:46:15Z")
> [@Badge](#): > > I wet my toothbrush, apply the paste, then brush. ^^^^^What he said.^^^^ ---
**Author:** ![Pride\_of\_the\_Peaches](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Pride\_of\_the\_Peaches](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pride_of_the_Peaches)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973/13 "2004-10-25T02:52:47Z")
Wet, paste, brush. I don’t know why but I hate the sensation of putting a dry toothbrush in my mouth. Just . . . egh. ---
**Author:** ![hocow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hocow/32/4112_2.png) [@hocow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hocow)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973/14 "2004-10-25T02:56:53Z")
water, paste, brush ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973/15 "2004-10-25T03:05:21Z")
Water, paste, brush. Otherwise the bristles are all spiky and they hurt. I have to soften them up with the water first. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973/16 "2004-10-25T03:10:25Z")
Water Paste Brush. I never heard of doing it any other way. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973/17 "2004-10-25T03:14:38Z")
> [@pokey](#): > > I used to wet it until a couple of years ago when I read on an Indian dental health website that you should not wet it since wetting it will just increase the amount of foam and bring about the spit reflex before you are finished brushing. > > I found that to be some sagely advice! Spit reflex, eh? Weird. I wasn’t aware I had one. It’s never kept me from finishing brushing in my entire life. If I have too much foam and am not done brushing, I simply spit out a bit of it out and keep scrubbing away. Wet, paste, brush, BTW. Paste on a dry brush is too gooky. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973/18 "2004-10-25T03:19:53Z")
water, soap, water (rinse off soap),toothpaste,water. I like to start with a clean brush. Stupid medical journals have me paranoid about my toothbrush. I’m ready to put an autoclave in the bathroom. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973/19 "2004-10-25T03:20:09Z")
I’m another wet-paste-brush sort. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973/20 "2004-10-25T03:46:56Z")
I’m in the water paste water brush water brush. I brush off the toothpaste gunk with a wet brush after brushing my teeth with the paste. Brushing irritates my gums, and the cold water on the brush afterwards feels yummy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing-a-poll/270973.md?page=2)