# Would you use someone else's toothbrush? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 10, 2000, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-someone-elses-toothbrush/40613 "2000-11-10T05:01:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2000, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-someone-elses-toothbrush/40613/21 "2000-11-11T05:34:31Z")
Ew no no no no no no. ---
**Author:** ![Fanny\_May](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3be4f8/32.png) [@Fanny\_May](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fanny_May)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2000, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-someone-elses-toothbrush/40613/22 "2000-11-11T07:16:35Z")
When I was a girl, toothbrushes were often confused by my brothers and sisters, especially since there were fewer colors than children. But since your mouth was full of soap it didn’t bother us. Sanitation was less fussy in those days. Sharing washed toothbrushes is no more disgusting than sharing washed spoons. Not that I would do it now, of course, for fear of offending the other party. ---
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2000, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-someone-elses-toothbrush/40613/23 "2000-11-11T08:45:33Z")
I do it constantly. . . even people I haven’t kissed. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2000, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-someone-elses-toothbrush/40613/24 "2000-11-11T21:22:13Z")
I once accidentally grabbed my dad’s toothbrush by mistake, and noticed something seemed different (the bristles were bigger-he uses a different kind of toothbrush)…yuck! ---
**Author:** ![Nacho4Sara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Nacho4Sara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nacho4Sara)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2000, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-someone-elses-toothbrush/40613/25 "2000-11-12T21:19:08Z")
I don’t really care either way. I don’t do it often but on occasions when I stayed over at an ex-boyfriend’s place and didn’t have one, I’d use his. Also, I’ve shared with friends when we were on a trip and someone forgot theirs. I don’t really see it as something to worry about. And really, once you’ve had someone _genitals_ in your mouth, are some bristles such a big deal? Most people rinse the brush thoroughly, too. It’s not like anything nasty comes out of my mouth either. It’s just saliva. ---
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-someone-elses-toothbrush/40613/26 "2000-11-13T04:26:44Z")
No way. Toothbrush cooties are deadlier than kissing cooties. Seriously, I know it’s illogical, but my stomach does flip flops at the idea of using any other person’s toothbrush regardless of the intimacy level. ---
**Author:** ![NeutronJack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/neutronjack/32/4134_2.png) [@NeutronJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeutronJack)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-someone-elses-toothbrush/40613/27 "2000-11-13T04:47:17Z")
Sure, my wife & I share toothbrushes all the time. I realize that there’s a zillion germs on her toothbrush, but there are no fewer germs on _my_ toothbrush, and we share germs anyway, so what’s the difference? ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-someone-elses-toothbrush/40613/28 "2000-11-13T04:57:34Z")
I really can’t see why I wouldn’t. Going for the my-toungue-has-been-in-his-mouth-why-not-my-toothbrush argument. And I guess I would also use a close friend’s as well. We’ve all shared drinks, and in a time of distress I borrowed my friend’s underwear (which i thought was, yes, pushing it, but I needed to). ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-someone-elses-toothbrush/40613/29 "2000-11-13T06:11:50Z")
When I am about to get my first blow job from someone (hmmm… when was the last time?) I like to ask: “Did you brush your teeth? You don’t mean you intend to give me a blow job without first brushing your teeth do you?” But getting back to the OP. I have not done it but I do not think I would have serious objections if the need came. I’d rather use her brush than go without brushing. BTW, I clean my toothbrush meticulously every time I use it. The best methot is to partly cover the faucet with the tip of my finger so a tiny stream of water comes out with great pressure. You can also sterilize them by putting them in the dishwasher or by any other method and I cannot see any objection to using a toothbrush after that. ---
**Author:** ![Nessy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f04885/32.png) [@Nessy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nessy)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2001, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-someone-elses-toothbrush/40613/30 "2001-01-05T18:59:17Z")
We did this at camp as kids, when someone would hide a couple as a joke. There was “supervised” toothbrushing in a big open bathroom, so if you tried to just skip you got “demerits” and people would mock you and call you “marsh mouth”, etc. So you’d sneak someone else’s and they’d find it wet. Demerits were lots worse than cooties in a camp in those days. ---
**Author:** ![Medievalist2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e19adc/32.png) [@Medievalist2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Medievalist2)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2001, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-someone-elses-toothbrush/40613/31 "2001-01-13T11:08:02Z")
Maybe it is a “girl thing.” I never would use someone else’s toothbrush - yuck! ---
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2001, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-someone-elses-toothbrush/40613/32 "2001-01-13T15:03:45Z")
I don’t normally share toothbrushes, but if I had to, I would share with my fiancée. After all, it’s the same as kissing. ---
**Author:** ![yESTERDAY\_mAN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a87d85/32.png) [@yESTERDAY\_mAN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yESTERDAY_mAN)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2001, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-someone-elses-toothbrush/40613/33 "2001-01-13T15:58:36Z")
I’ve shared mine with my girlfriend before. I would be willing to share with my female friends, but not my male friends. ---
**Author:** ![kirk280980](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c77e96/32.png) [@kirk280980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirk280980)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2001, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-someone-elses-toothbrush/40613/34 "2001-01-13T23:20:24Z")
Would I use someone else’s toothbrush? Only for scrubbing around the edges of the toilet 😃 ---
**Author:** ![blur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dbc845/32.png) [@blur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blur)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2001, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-someone-elses-toothbrush/40613/35 "2001-01-14T06:14:19Z")
I’ve shared toothbrushes with my wife, because she thinks its no different from kissing. I guess she’s right, but it still kinda grosses me out. ---
**Author:** ![Carina42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Carina42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carina42)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2001, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-someone-elses-toothbrush/40613/36 "2001-01-14T07:37:18Z")
female…and I would use just about anybody’s toothbrush, as long as it was someone I knew, and who doesn’t have green furry teeth. //hijack// I will NOT sit on public toilet seats, however. I have _great_ quads, and I sort of hover and aim accurately. ---
**Author:** ![Space\_Vampire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Space\_Vampire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Space_Vampire)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2001, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-someone-elses-toothbrush/40613/37 "2001-01-14T10:27:30Z")
I wouldn’t do it, but come on, if you’re already sticking your tongue in someone’s mouth, what’s so much worse about using their toothbrush? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-someone-elses-toothbrush/40613.md?page=1)