# People who brush their teeth at work - tell me about it **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 7, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260 "2012-11-07T18:59:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260/1 "2012-11-07T18:59:59Z")
I want to start doing this but I admit I’m feeling a bit awkward about it. I don’t know anyone else in the building who does it. We’re a very small building, with only about four tenants, and I’m not sure I want to be known as “that lady who brushes her teeth all the time”. Hence this thread. Do you get comments? Do people complain? Do you go at a set time each day? ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260/2 "2012-11-07T19:10:01Z")
Yek! Are you planning on doing it in a kitchenette area, or the restroom? Other people poop in there, you know. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260/3 "2012-11-07T19:11:21Z")
I, as well as one other person I know of used to brush my teeth at work. I was a bit more self conscious (and also took my lunch at off times) and tried to find times when it was less likely for people to walk in, but she took her lunch right at the noon rush and it was a common occurence to walk in and see her brushing. Even though I understood her motives, I would be lying if I said it wasn’t vaguely off-putting (thus why I chose off times to do the same). That being said, I realize it was my “hangup” and there’s no reason you shouldn’t feel free to practice oral hygene at work. That is what a bathroom is for, after all. By the way, I keep reading that it is way more beneficial to brush closer to an hour after eating as opposed to directly after, so you might choose to brush at a time when the bathroom is less likely to be busy. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260/4 "2012-11-07T19:11:38Z")
No. No. No. A fair number of people at my work have done it, and this goes back many years. ---
**Author:** ![scootergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@scootergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scootergirl)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260/5 "2012-11-07T19:19:30Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I want to start doing this but I admit I’m feeling a bit awkward about it. I don’t know anyone else in the building who does it. We’re a very small building, with only about four tenants, and I’m not sure I want to be known as “that lady who brushes her teeth all the time”. Hence this thread. > > Do you get comments? > Do people complain? > Do you go at a set time each day? 1. No 2. Why would anyone complain? 😕 3. Not, necessarily. I brush after lunch and snacks - such as poppy seed bagels that may leave something between my teeth. Also if my breath smells like coffee or something else that is a bit strong like alcohol – joking. I brush when my mouth feels like it needs it. I Keep a toothbrush, floss and paste in my locker. Others at the library do, too. There are much worse things that you could be known by apart from “that lady who brushes her teeth all the time”. For example: “The lady that walked around with food between her teeth all day and funky breath.” OK, off to work, but first, I’m going to brush my teeth! ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260/6 "2012-11-07T19:19:37Z")
I only did it a couple times when I had an after-work dentist appointment. I’m not sure why you’d want to on a regular basis, though. My dentists have told me that you only need to brush twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. Maybe just bring in a bottle of Listerine and do a good swish & gargle. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260/7 "2012-11-07T19:19:51Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Yek! Are you planning on doing it in a kitchenette area, or the restroom? Other people poop in there, you know. In the restroom. And yes, I am aware other people poop in there. I just feel that like the rest of me, my teeth aren’t getting any younger either. And they have been troopers - staying with me all my life and having very few cavities and very few problems. I should take care of the little bastards. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260/8 "2012-11-07T19:21:29Z")
People are more apt to complain if we **don’t** brush our teeth at work. As long as you’re doing it in the restroom I can’t imagine why anyone would object. But my workplace isn’t your workplace. I shower here too. Kinda have too, as I take a brisk walk on the grounds during the first half-hour of my lunch break. ---
**Author:** ![scootergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@scootergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scootergirl)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260/9 "2012-11-07T19:21:44Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Yek! Are you planning on doing it in a kitchenette area, or the restroom? Other people poop in there, you know. The OP probably does not plan on using toilet water. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260/10 "2012-11-07T19:23:15Z")
if you like your teeth then brush them in the restroom. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260/11 "2012-11-07T19:23:35Z")
> [@scootergirl](#): > > The OP probably does not plan on using toilet water. Ha! Too funny. I usually have an afternoon cup of coffee (decaf) so I may start planning to brush after that. Can’t shower here, no shower. Or biking to work in the summer would be a lot easier. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260/12 "2012-11-07T19:23:37Z")
> [@scootergirl](#): > > The OP probably does not plan on using toilet water. Well maybe, but only after a fresh flush. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260/13 "2012-11-07T19:26:23Z")
I’ve never brushed at work, but I’ve heard people complain or make snarky comments about those who do. I say ignore them and brush away. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260/14 "2012-11-07T19:30:30Z")
Relevant thread from this summer: [Dear Guy Who Brushes His Teeth in the Office Restroom](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=651006) I do not do it, but I see others doing it. At my office there is a room with the sinks, separated by a wall and door from the room with the urinals and toilets. In that case it is probably OK, and it does not bother me. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260/15 "2012-11-07T19:33:12Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Do you get comments? > Do people complain? > Do you go at a set time each day? 1. No 2. Not to my face 3. After eating And yeah, people poop in there. When I’m at home I brush in my bathroom, where I also poop. Do people normally brush somewhere other than the bathroom? Do they avoid showering in there as well? ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260/16 "2012-11-07T19:46:34Z")
I brush at work, after coffee and after anything else that might possibly stain or cause an odor. No one has ever said anything to me, and even if they did, I wouldn’t care. Keeping my teeth white is super important to me. I use travel toothbrushes that I slip in my palm or my pocket so my mission is discreet. Get to the bathroom, brush, and I’m back at my desk in less than a minute. ---
**Author:** ![scootergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@scootergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scootergirl)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260/17 "2012-11-07T20:18:21Z")
> [@scootergirl](#): > > The OP probably does not plan on using toilet water. > [@leftfield6](#): > > Well maybe, but only after a fresh flush. Hee hee. Oh, I’d be willing to bet my upper right lateral and a molar that she won’t. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260/18 "2012-11-07T20:20:45Z")
It would never occur to me to think twice about someone brushing their teeth in the restroom, and I’ve done it on occasion. If anyone thought anything of it, they never mentioned it. I had a co-worker who would shave at his desk.That, I spoke up about. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260/19 "2012-11-07T20:33:47Z")
I’ve done it off and on over the years, and several I work with also brush their teeth here. It is not a big deal and perfectly fine with me if anyone wants to do it. Furthermore, how it could gross anyone out completely escapes me. It’s a clean, minty fresh activity. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260/20 "2012-11-07T20:58:52Z")
The OP reminded me to brush my teeth just now. My minty fresh breath is worth far more to me than the stress of knowing that literally nobody cares that I brush my teeth at work! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-brush-their-teeth-at-work-tell-me-about-it/640260.md?page=2)