If you’re still rinsing your teeth with water after brushing them, it may be time to stop. There are actually some benefits to leaving that extra bit of toothpaste on your teeth. I used to rinse after brushing my teeth — and even went back over them with a wet toothbrush — to remove any remnants of toothpaste left in my mouth. But then I found out from a dentist’s TikTok video that doing that isn’t the most effective method of keeping your chompers in good shape.

Instead, I now spit out as much toothpaste as I can without swishing with water, so I can allow the toothpaste to do its job just a little longer. However, I wasn’t sure why I was doing this — or what the benefits were — until I spoke with an expert.

I talked to Dr….