# Why do some people put water OVER toothpaste? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 3, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192 "2009-05-03T17:29:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192/1 "2009-05-03T17:29:52Z")
I don’t believe that I have ever seen this in person, but in toothpaste commercials, often, you see a loaded toothbrush going under the faucet. Why? ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192/2 "2009-05-03T17:31:48Z")
Well, why wouldn’t you? Toothpaste (IMO, no cite) works better when wet. Now, it’s a bit silly to wet the toothbrush, then put toothpaste on, then wet it again… ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192/3 "2009-05-03T17:33:44Z")
I’ve always done it this way… bit more moisture helps the toothpaste to start foaming. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192/4 "2009-05-03T17:36:31Z")
I do it. As other posters have said, it works better that way. Without added moisture, toothpaste is too pasty. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192/5 "2009-05-03T17:47:11Z")
I find it weird that you _don’t_ wet the toothpaste… ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192/6 "2009-05-03T18:10:52Z")
I do it because if you’ve wet the toothbrush before applying the toothpaste some of the water has gone. But if you wet after applying the toothpaste you can shove a freshly wetted toothbrush in your mouth. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192/7 "2009-05-03T18:23:44Z")
I am another wet-after-paster. Keeps more water in the brush. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192/8 "2009-05-03T18:27:26Z")
I don’t do that, but I do rinse my mouse with water just before I use the brush. It’s wet enough and foams like crazy, so it must work just as well. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192/9 "2009-05-03T18:30:36Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > I don’t do that, **but I do rinse my mouse with water** just before I use the brush. It’s wet enough and foams like crazy, so it must work just as well. The mouse doesn’t object? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192/10 "2009-05-03T18:38:17Z")
I thought mice cleaned themselves. D’oh! ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192/11 "2009-05-03T21:45:52Z")
I have to admit to being boggled. The last time I checked the inside of my mouth, it was wet. Yup, just checked right now: Wet. So why exactly do I need to get toothpaste wet previous to sticking it in my mouth, again? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192/12 "2009-05-03T21:57:43Z")
It’s all nice and fun being sarcastic, but I find that my teeth are not wet enough to get it going. And, it seems, so do all the people in the commercials and quite a few responses in this thread. Anyway, I’d rather get it started with plain tap water than work up a nice mouthful of saliva just to start brushing. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192/13 "2009-05-03T22:04:00Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I have to admit to being boggled. The last time I checked the inside of my mouth, it was wet. > > Yup, just checked right now: Wet. > > So why exactly do I need to get toothpaste wet previous to sticking it in my mouth, again? Wetter is better. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Race\_Harley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Race\_Harley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Race_Harley)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192/14 "2009-05-03T22:17:32Z")
Fresh tap water wet is way different than just a wet mouth when starting to brush the teeth. I run it under the tap before brushing. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192/15 "2009-05-03T22:22:25Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I have to admit to being boggled. The last time I checked the inside of my mouth, it was wet. > > Yup, just checked right now: Wet. > > So why exactly do I need to get toothpaste wet previous to sticking it in my mouth, again? The ‘wet’ inside your mouth is dirty, smelly, and full of bacteria. I prefer to use the clean stuff from the tap to brush my teeth. eta: Apparently human mouths are more bacteria-laden than any other mammal on earth. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192/16 "2009-05-03T22:23:06Z")
Another person here who agrees; it just works better if you wet it. If you _don’t_ wet it, _you’re_ the strange one. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192/17 "2009-05-03T22:35:29Z")
Do you wet your car before washing it? Two wet things coming into contact are often better than one wet and one dry. ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192/18 "2009-05-03T23:00:34Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I am another wet-after-paster. Keeps more water in the brush. Now I want to use the term “paste-wetter” when I insult other people (although I’m a paste-wetter too!) ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192/19 "2009-05-03T23:15:23Z")
Who has moisture in their mouth when they get out of bed? My mouth is as dry as a desert salt lick. I’m brushing my teeth about two minutes after getting up. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192/20 "2009-05-03T23:18:44Z")
The right way to do it is wet the brush, then put on the toothpaste, then brush your teeth. What’s wrong with you people? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-put-water-over-toothpaste/495192.md?page=2)