# Do you wet your toothbrush before brushing? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 6, 2006, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707 "2006-05-06T22:30:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/21 "2006-05-07T20:20:32Z")
Most of the time. But it doesn’t seem too big of a deal if I don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/22 "2006-05-07T22:37:42Z")
No. I used to but I quit several years ago and haven’t noticed any difference. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/23 "2006-05-07T23:42:13Z")
> [@sundog66](#): > > Yes, twice. Once before applying the toothpaste, and once after applying it. Same here. Any other way is weird. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/24 "2006-05-08T00:03:24Z")
I definitely prefer a wet toothbrush, though I find that once you get things started with a dry, saliva pretty much makes things work about the same. However, I may be the only person in ‘town’ to only wet once, after the toothpaste has been applied to the brush. Can’t imagine what wetting it pre- **and** post- toothpaste would do that I’m missing. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/25 "2006-05-08T00:04:58Z")
I’m also a “double-wetter.” Once before toothpaste, and once after. ---
**Author:** ![Pedro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@Pedro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pedro)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/26 "2006-05-08T05:05:06Z")
Apply toothpaste, wet toothbrush under running water, drop the paste off the brush, re-apply some, wet again, drop again, curse, pick it off the sink with the brush, brush teeth. Dry toothpaste just feels… dry. ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/27 "2006-05-08T05:14:25Z")
I wet it twice too. I find brushing my teeth horribly unpleasant. The toothpaste makes me want to gag (some flavors are worse than others. The only flavor I can really tolerate is cinnamon.) and wetting it makes it more bearable. I just have to resist the temptation to wash all the toothpaste off the brush. I don’t understand dry-brushing. I’d die before I finished. ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/28 "2006-05-08T10:44:39Z")
Wet, apply toothpaste, wet. I’m not sure the second wetting is effective in any way, but I still do it. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/29 "2006-05-08T11:24:22Z")
I don’t put any water on my toothbrush, I don’t see the point. Toothpase slides off, and I’ve got enough spit in my mouth to soften the brush. So what does getting the brush wet do anyway? ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/30 "2006-05-08T11:43:57Z")
I run my toothbrush under hot water for a bit before I brush. It softens the bristles, which my gums thank me for. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/31 "2006-05-08T14:49:14Z")
Yes, before and after the toothpaste, and again, every time I spit. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/32 "2006-05-08T14:52:36Z")
Apply toothpaste, then wet. Any other way is weird, despite what you “wet toothbrush then apply paste” people say (and you include SpouseO in your number, so I know whereof I speak). ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/33 "2006-05-08T15:14:48Z")
Another double wetter–once to get the bristles soft and once to get the toothpaste wet. I didn’t know there were so many double wetters out there. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2006, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/34 "2006-05-09T02:27:11Z")
Double wetter here also. I’ve heard the chlorine in tap water kills any bacteria that float around my bathroom, but my main reason is the unbearable feeling of dry brush with toothpaste. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707.md?page=1)