# Oral question **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 27, 2001, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036 "2001-09-27T01:56:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dpr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dpr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dpr)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036/1 "2001-09-27T01:56:34Z")
Okay following an interesting discussion with a friend I need you to answer a quick question for me: QUICK POLL: Do you wet the toothpaste on your brush before applying to your teeth? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036/2 "2001-09-27T01:58:46Z")
Yup. ---
**Author:** ![Nen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Nen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nen)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036/3 "2001-09-27T02:02:02Z")
But of course. Only heathens do otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Myrnalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Myrnalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrnalene)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036/4 "2001-09-27T02:04:12Z")
No, I wet the toothbrush, then apply the toothpaste, then brush. ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036/5 "2001-09-27T02:06:09Z")
Yep. I wet the toothbrush, apply the toothpaste, wet the toothpaste and then brush. ---
**Author:** ![fish\_in\_the\_sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ba0ec/32.png) [@fish\_in\_the\_sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fish_in_the_sky)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036/6 "2001-09-27T02:09:53Z")
Clearly, I’m obsessive. I wet the toothbrush, apply toothpaste, wet the toothbrush again. Brush a little. Spit. Wet the toothbrush again. Brush a little more. Spit again. Wet the toothbrush again. Brush a little more. Spit again. Wet the toothbrush again. Et cetera. Et cetera. Et fucking cetera. I probably wet the brush a good half dozen times per brushing. The toothpaste tastes too glommy otherwise. And I like fresh suds. I dunno. Maybe I’m weird… ---
**Author:** ![YWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/6f9a4e/32.png) [@YWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YWalker)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036/7 "2001-09-27T02:28:08Z")
**Crunchy** ’s got it right. Wet the toothbrush, apply the toothpaste, wet the toothpaste, brush. (Just make sure you don’t accidentally pick up the kid’s toothpaste. It’s a really nasty thing to discover a mouthful of horrible fruity-bubble-gummy flavor when you were expecting a nice, clean, refreshing mint…) :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036/8 "2001-09-27T02:31:46Z")
Yup…wet the toothpaste on the dry brush. ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036/9 "2001-09-27T02:41:08Z")
What’s this “brushing” everyone speaks of? 😕 [sub]I wet the brush then put toothpaste on then brush.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036/10 "2001-09-27T02:45:45Z")
::removes Monster’s name from her “Dopers to Smooch in LA” list:: In response to the OP, I do it like **Crunchy** does it. ---
**Author:** ![Searching\_For\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@Searching\_For\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Searching_For_Truth)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036/11 "2001-09-27T02:46:17Z")
Used to. Now I just whip out the brush, squeeze the paste on that sucker and brush away. Don’t really matter. I just need to brush my teeth, and do it good. I’m a compulsive tooth-brusher. Just ask **ARose**. The poor thing has listened to me brush my teeth on the phone in the background countless times (and given me plenty of grief about it, too.) I guess I can’t blame him. It is kinda weird. But there are worse habits to have, right? Haha, and once… **Catalyst** brushed my teeth for me. It feels really odd to have someone else brush your teeth for you…especially when three people fight over the opportunity to…_wrinkles nose_ Anyways, it makes me feel clean. And happy and sparkly inside. ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036/12 "2001-09-27T02:48:16Z")
I’m in **Crunchy** and **Silver’s** corner. I wet brush, apply toothpaste, wet toothpaste, brush. Otherwise it’s like brushing with sandpaper! Ick. ---
**Author:** ![ARose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8491ac/32.png) [@ARose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ARose)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036/13 "2001-09-27T03:08:53Z")
Yes, yes she does. I’ll be talkin’ away and I’ll notice that Searching isn’t saying much… I shut up and hear this ever-so-faint scratching of her toothbrush on her teeth. It definitely evokes a, hm, how to say… hysterical laughing fit from me. This usually ends in her vehemently yelling that there are worse habits that she could have and that I suck, et cetera. As for the OP… I wet the brush, apply the paste, then wet the mix, and begin brushing away. I’m a slack teeth brusher, I must admit, though I’ve had no cavities. Skeeuws! ~ARose ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036/14 "2001-09-27T04:15:21Z")
Wet toothbrush, apply toothpaste, brush. ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036/15 "2001-09-27T04:32:48Z")
Fill cup of water. Dip toothbrush. Put toothpaste on brush. Drop brush in cup. Adjust hair, or otherwise occupy myself for a few seconds. Pull out brush and apply to teeth. Dunk a few times during brushing. Rinse mouth with minty toothpaste water. Spit. This is the ‘water-saving’ toothbrushing method I learned in elementary school, and I’ve done it ever since. People look at me funny when I do it, but then again people look at me funny a lot. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036/16 "2001-09-27T04:32:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by porcupine \* > \*\*Wet toothbrush, apply toothpaste, brush. \*\* Just like **porcupine** Haj ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036/17 "2001-09-27T04:42:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Silver Fire \* > \*\*I do it like **Crunchy** does it. \*\* How is that possible, I thought you were female? Oh - the tooth brushing thing… Nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![Medievalist2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e19adc/32.png) [@Medievalist2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Medievalist2)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036/18 "2001-09-27T05:19:35Z")
I wet the toothbrush with water, and then I put the toothpaste on it. ---
**Author:** ![Cougarfang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c67d28/32.png) [@Cougarfang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cougarfang)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036/19 "2001-09-27T09:20:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hajario \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by porcupine \* > > \*\*Wet toothbrush, apply toothpaste, brush. \*\* > > Just like **porcupine** > > Haj \*\* just like you two. ---
**Author:** ![Iguana\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@Iguana\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iguana_Boy)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036/20 "2001-09-27T10:44:35Z")
Wet toothbrush, apply toothpaste, brush. I don’t see the benefit of then wetting the paste after the brush has already been wet. I mean, your mouth is wet anyway! Why do you do that (you guys who do)? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oral-question/84036.md?page=2)