My husband has our kids using their fingers to push the toothpaste into the toothbrush. I kept telling them to use the toothpaste tip to apply and push the toothpaste into the bristles. Has anyone ever heard of using their fingers. Toothpaste is not easy to get off your fingers and it makes a mess. Thank You....
Just a thought...if they are touching the tip of the toothpaste tube to their toothbrushes they are spreading germs from one toothbrush to another. I buy each of my kids their own tube of toothpaste. (let them pick it out and they use it without a fuss) Then they can smush the paste onto their toothbrush without getting gooey fingers AND it's more sanitary!
Too funny! I bought blue handtowels for my kids' bathroom just for the reason that most toothpastes are blue! I push the toothpaste into their bristles for them only so that I know it's not getting sucked off and spit out after the first swipe. I agree with the other responses, using the tip would mean more germ swapping.
never heard of pushing it into the toothbrush with your fingers... ha! I bet you have lots of hand towels with toothpast if not thier clothes!
my vote is for the toothpast applied with 'applicater tip' maybe if you tell him thats what we call it he may rethink his approach!
tee hee thats cute =) good luck
Never heard of pushing toothpaste INTO the bristles. Most of the time the paste is put ON TOP and then when you start to brush it works its way down. Ask your dentist about the proper technique. If you apply it to the top of the bristles, the tube never needs to even touch the toothbrush.
Dear L.:
This made me laugh! I can relate- it's so funny that couples have to argue over toothpaste. While I like to put the toothpaste on top of the toothbrush like some other advisors, my husband puts the tube directly into his mouth! He made a movie once, and that is what they taught the actors to do to avoid getting toothpast on clothing. He also only likes new tubes of toothpaste, so when I get a new tube becuase he has "ruined" the old one, he immediately "contaminates" that one too!
This may not help with your problem, but at least you are not married to my husband. I hope that makes you feel better. (although, the mess seems to bother you more than the germs, so you might actually like his method.)
Jen
I make my 2 kids push it with their fingers also. I know that is what the tip is for but I can't get past the thought of the tip touching all 4 of our tooth brushes and then if someone stays at our house and has to use it. To me that is just asking for germs to be spread. They just use 1 finger and then wash it off.
I'm a dental hygienist and in my 11 years of working in the dental field, I've never heard of pushing toothpaste into the bristles. I don't really understand what purpose that would serve. For children, you really only need to apply a pea-sized or smaller amount on the toothbrush anyway. I wouldn't even worry about pushing it into the bristles. The toothpaste isn't what does the cleaning; it's the brushing technique.
I have to say I'm with Evyonne. I've never even thought about pushing the toothpaste down into the bristles, it just sits on top and then gets spread on your teeth when you start brushing. I will also say that I think people are being a little over the top with the germ spreading talk. Granted, it's a toothbrush and goes in the mouth so it gets direct germs, but seriously, when kids live in the same house they are exposed to the same stuff anyway. Between playing with the same toys (and kids are always wiping their nose with their hands no matter how often you remind to use a tissue, and they are often coughing or sneezing into their hands or putting fingers in their mouths) and you know kids always grab each other's cups (purpose or accident), and may even have put another's toothbrush in their mouth on occasion (again, could be purpose or accident), they're all sharing germs anyway. So I think it's a little excessive to be worrying about a tip of the toothpaste touching more than one toothbrush.
I really don't think it is very sanitary to use the tip of the toothpaste to push the toothpaste into the toothbrush. You are just spreading germs. If one of you were sick, then you are just infecting eachother.
I would be pleased to have my husband help with the teeth brushing. Let your kids decide. I think it will reduce the pressure and start a great trend for older year issues.
Wow, that is a lot of intensity over toothpaste! :)
I say as long as the toothpaste stays on the brush long enough to get to their mouths, you're good.
But since the question is already out there, why on earth are you having them intentionally touch the toothpaste tube to the toothbrush? That is pretty much the second-germiest thing in the bathroom! Giving the germs a free ride every day into the whole tube is not a good plan, I wouldn't think. Seems the "mess" you're focused on isn't where the real action is.
Besides, toothpaste has never been that tough for my little ones to get off their fingers. Maybe you can check the fingers at the same time you check the teeth; just make it part of the routine. Send them back for another quick rinse the same way you would send them back for a rebrush if there was still crud on the teeth or breath wasn't smelling quite clean enough yet!
This could turn into a fun science project for the whole family! There are a lot of science kit websites that sell petri dish and bacteria testing supplies, or a educational supplies retail store in your city is another place to look. Purchase a testing kit and let the kids decide who will use their fingers and who will use the tip of the toothpaste tube to apply the toothpaste to their toothbrushes. Begin with new and clean toothbrushes and swab the toothbrushes after brushing every day and apply sample to petri dishes. After about two weeks, the family will have the results of which technique is healthier. Your kids are old enough to make their own predictions (hyposthesis) and your 8 year old can be in charge of charting the results. Good luck! If you do this, please post the results.
Why push the toothpaste into the bristles to begin with? I have never heard of that, just curious why . . .
Buy each family member their own toothpaste. We assign household colors for each person. For example, my son's names start with a 'B' and a 'G'. You guessed it, the 'B' son has everything Blue and the 'G' son has everything Green. Buy toothpaste in the designated colors and you'll never have to remember who's toothpaste/toothbrush belongs to whom. Also, they can put the toothpaste on their toothbrush however they feel is best. As long as the kids aren't 'eating' the toothpaste that is stuck to their finger, I suspect that it truly doesn't matter which way they apply the toothpaste.
As long as they brush, it should not matter how they put their toothpaste on.
A.
Why worry about it? Though it may be a small bit to wash off, does it really make such a difference that there is a need to undermind your husbands way of helping the children brush their teeth. Is it such a big deal, that they are not using the brush to put the paste on their tooth brush. My advise is to stop worrying about the small stuff. You are just adding conflict in your marriage over nothing, and telling your children your husband is wrong right in front of them. Is he really doing somthing that bad?
