# Sucking water out of toothbrush reduces tooth problems? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 23, 2006, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sucking-water-out-of-toothbrush-reduces-tooth-problems/377534 "2006-10-23T05:13:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [October 23, 2006, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sucking-water-out-of-toothbrush-reduces-tooth-problems/377534/1 "2006-10-23T05:13:52Z")
OK, I have a friend (seriously!) who says that she routinely sucks the water out of her toothbrush after brushing, because (I think) her dentist told her (again, I think) that sucking the water out can help reduce dental problems by (I think) making the toothbrush a slightly less hospitable place for bacteria. I’ve been unable to find anything on the net about sucking water out of the toothbrush one way or the other. I don’t suck it, but I do tap out excess water left over. And I also remember an episode of “Mythbusters” where a toothbrush in a different part of the house (and was not even being used) still had lots of bacteria on it. Anyway, is or was this a common belief among dentists? ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sucking-water-out-of-toothbrush-reduces-tooth-problems/377534/2 "2006-10-23T12:14:06Z")
[QUOTE=Earl Snake-Hips Tucker] OK, I have a friend (seriously!) who says that she routinely sucks the water out of her toothbrush after brushing, because (I think) her dentist told her (again, I think) that sucking the water out can help reduce dental problems by (I think) making the toothbrush a slightly less hospitable place for bacteria. I’ve been unable to find anything on the net about sucking water out of the toothbrush one way or the other. I don’t suck it, but I do tap out excess water left over. And I also remember an episode of “Mythbusters” where a toothbrush in a different part of the house (and was not even being used) still had lots of bacteria on it. Anyway, is or was this a common belief among dentists? [/QUOTE] Maybe her dentist gets off on using the work “suck” in front of unsuspecting patients. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sucking-water-out-of-toothbrush-reduces-tooth-problems/377534/3 "2006-10-23T12:41:50Z")
I tap mine against the sink then blot it dry on the towel. My toothbrush, that is. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sucking-water-out-of-toothbrush-reduces-tooth-problems/377534/4 "2006-10-23T17:38:51Z")
I hold the handle in one hand and pull the head of the toothbrush back with the other, then let it spring forward towards the sink to propel any water out of it. Same basic idea as tapping against the sink. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sucking-water-out-of-toothbrush-reduces-tooth-problems/377534/5 "2006-10-23T19:01:20Z")
[QUOTE=Earl Snake-Hips Tucker] Anyway, is or was this a common belief among dentists? [/QUOTE] I’m sure dentists would prefer that everyone uses a dry toothbrush in preference to one softened by long exposure to dampness. A sterilized toothbrush would also minimize reinfection of any oral lacerations. [**Family Toothbrush Drier & Sterilizer**](http://stores.channeladvisor.com/DutchGuard-Catalog/items/item.aspx?itemid=9412509) ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sucking-water-out-of-toothbrush-reduces-tooth-problems/377534/6 "2006-10-23T19:13:48Z")
[QUOTE=McNew] I tap mine against the sink then blot it dry on the towel. My toothbrush, that is. [/QUOTE] Really? I do the same thing with my dick. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sucking-water-out-of-toothbrush-reduces-tooth-problems/377534/7 "2006-10-23T19:47:05Z")
I was taught in 7th grade to keep two toothbrushes, so one would always be completely dry for the next use. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sucking-water-out-of-toothbrush-reduces-tooth-problems/377534/8 "2006-10-23T20:09:24Z")
I suggest dipping said brush once a day in Listerine. However, it’s true that bacteria like to grow on wet surfaces, along with molds and such. ---
**Author:** ![Yeah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/dbc845/32.png) [@Yeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeah)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sucking-water-out-of-toothbrush-reduces-tooth-problems/377534/9 "2006-10-25T00:36:28Z")
This makes no sense to me at all. Your mouth is full of bacteria that are so warm, moist, fat, and happy that they reproduce like mad. How is the reintroduction of a handful of cold, dry, starved, and unhappy relatives of theirs after an overnight exile on a nylon bristle going to make any difference at all? Does anyone anywhere have any kind of empirical evidence that cleaning, drying, sucking, blotting, flicking, tapping or replacing toothbrushes has any measurable benefical effect on human health?