A while back, my roommates boyfriend was visiting and forgot his tothbrush, so he used her’s, before she did that day, and didn’t tell her he used it till later. We (her and I) both thought it was gross, but he seemed to think it was okay. I asked MY boyfriend if he thought it would be gross to use my toothbrush, and he said no.
I am wondering, is thinking it’s gross to use someone else’s toothbrush a female thing? Or are there guys out there who share our opinion? Please share!
Jenny
One time, I heard about this hotel where the maidstaff used the toothbrushes of these really rude visitors and they stuck it up their butts and the visitors used them anyway even though they smelled really bad and they didn’t know about it until they got home and developed pictures from their trip and saw the maids. I saw it with my own two eyes, I did. Well, ok, so my brother’s coworker’s cousin had it happen to him, but he swears it’s true!
After that incident, I kinda figure a little wayward saliva of a loved one ain’t so bad. How about you?
My fellow girlfriends and I have always been fairly casual about using each other’s toothbrushes. This may stem from the fact that we set these patterns in middle school, an age where sharing everything–drinks, lipstick, deep secrets, boyfriends–seems like the most natural thing in the world.
Anyone I’ve kissed can use my tothbrush–I feel like it is a tacit admission that I am not affraid of thier salivia. But I would ask before I used someone elses.
Then again, at times I have a rather week sense of personal hygene.
Yes, they can be excellent for cleaning bicycle chains but they do usually notice.
sorry… gotta agree with LCB that’s just gross. It probably doesn’t help that mom’s a biologist and told me about every possible disgusting thing on earth… especially those that could be transferred by human contact…
hmm… kinda makes me wonder if she wasn’t just trying to keep me from kissing anybody…
it was all just a conspiracy…
I do it.
Hell, there are times that I’m not too sure about using MY toothbrush.
Nope.
Yeah I use my girlfriend toothbrush. Heck, I know where her mouth has been 
Enderw23: The urban legend goes something like this. I couple on vacation in a foreign country comes back to their hotel room and finds that someone has broken in. The robbery is very strange as little is stolen or out of place. The oddest thing they find is their four toothbrushes strewn around the sink, and their camera is set out in the open on one of the beds. When they get home after using the toothbrushes the remainder of their vacation, they develop the pics…yadda yadda yadda. Problem is, it’s just that, an urban legend. Funny thing is I have seen many a newsgroup where someone says they’ve seen the pics. Until I see em I dont believe it. If you have them let me know!
My girlfriends and I will use the same toothbrush, no big deal. Now that we are allegedly grown-up, we don’t have the reason to do this so often, but we started doing this in junior high.
The “toothbrush in the rear end” urban legend was used in David Foster Wallace’s novel, Infinite Jest. He goes into quite a bit of detail, I remember being skeeved when I read it.
I don’t see anything particularly gross about it, as long as you wash it off between uses. For goodness’ sake, you probably drink out of glasses other people have used all the time. And why would you be unwilling to share a toothbrush with someone you’ve (presumably) kissed?
I’m female, BTW.
Anyone who has had their tongue in my mouth can use my toothbrush.
Sure, why not? I mean what’s the big deal? Especially when the alternative is morning sex with morning breath.
Wow… I’m kind of surprised to hear that so many others would (or do) share their toothbrush. Well, if it doesn’t bother either person I guess it’s alright.
I’m with you though, Le Sang Paresseux. I saw something on Inside 20 Minutes, or some show like that, all about the germs in your bathroom and what might be landing on your toothbrush everyday, and now I don’t even keep mine out without the travel cover thingy on it. I’m not generally a germophobe, but for some reason knowing what might be on my toothbrush freaks me out!
Oh, and I’ve heard the tourist story too. The worst part of it was that I hear it from my mother!
Kepp sharing, I know there have to be more people like me out there somewhere!
Well, I’m married, so I have no problem using his toothbrush & vice-versa, except that he leaves toothpaste in the bristles instead of washing it out after each use, eeeewwww!!!
In high school when AIDS was finally starting to get some press, there was concern about using someone else’s toothbrush. Not because you can get AIDS from saliva, because you can’t- saliva does not contain cells as a general rule. The concern was about bleeding gums and the transference of a blood-borne pathogen.
Don’t know if this was or is ever really a problem, or just mid-80’s hype left over.
Actually Cecil covered this topic. Here’s the link
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/990416.html
YUCK
Really, once I’ve allowed someones tongue in my mouth, why would I stop at a toothbrush? Especially when it’s much less intimate than the stuff we’ve already been doing?
Hell no. Swapping spit is one thing, but plaque? No thanx.
I use my boyfriend’s toothbrush all the time…and he uses mine. usually when we forget to bring our own to each other’s place, but neither of us have a problem with it. Better than morning mouth and bad breath all day…
Ewwwwwwww, ya’ll!!! This is SOO gross! No, I wouldn’t EVER use anyone else’s toothbrush, EVER. When we were still more than just the roommates we are today, I wouldn’t even let my husband’s toothbrush STAND next to mine, and it’s because he refuses to floss!!