A dental hygienist has revealed we’re all paying too much for toothpaste and it’s not even needed for clean teeth and healthy gums.
Jessica Anne Potter, 32, from Cambridgeshire, took to TikTok to clear up a common misconception about toothpaste.
Wearing her work uniform, the brunette, who appeared on Married At First Sight UK in 2022, told her 49,700 followers that ‘toothpaste doesn’t clean teeth, so stop spending so much money on it’.
She went on, ‘I literally have patients that come in and have spent £7, £8, even £10 on the toothpaste and I’m like why?
‘They are all the same, just get a cheap one.’
Jessica, who split from husband Pjay just a few weeks after getting married on the show, went on to explain what people really need to keep their gnashers clean.
She said: ‘The way to clean our teeth is to use an electric toothbrush, and use some floss and some interdental brushes in between the teeth where the brush can’t get to.’
This she explains will remove the plaque and bacteria.
For many people, the feeling of freshly cleaned teeth and minty breath is the only way to start and end their day, but we don’t need expensive formulas to achieve that.
Jessica shared that the reason we use toothpaste is for the fluoride it contains, which protects our teeth.
She said: ‘It protects our teeth against decay and acid erosion. The way to know that you’ve got the right amount of toothpaste is to literally just check the back of the box.
‘It should say 1450 parts per million or ppm. It can be as one whole number or two numbers like 1100 and then 350, so add them together it’s 1450.
Jessica Anne Potter is a dental hygienist based in Cambridgeshire and has given her TikTok followers some important advice on what to clean teeth with
Jessica was exasperated as she revealed she’s always shocked when people tell her how much money they spend on toothpaste
‘This is the correct amount of fluoride that anyone over the age of 12 needs.’
The former reality star then shared with viewers that she had done shopping in order to compare different brands of toothpaste.
Holding them up to the camera, she showed a pack of Wilko’s own brand, Oral-B and Colgate, all of which she said cost £1 each.
She added: ‘And they had the correct amount of fluoride in.’
The expert finished her talk by reminding viewers on the best way to care for their teeth, saying: ‘So just remember, check the back of the box, stop paying so much money and remember once you’ve brushed you need to spit and don’t rinse.
‘Don’t rinse with water, don’t rinse with mouthwash… We want this fluoride to keep working for 30 minutes.’
Naturally, people flocked to the comments section to share their thoughts on the subject and theories on fluoride.
One person wrote: I’m 28, never had a cavity ever & I eat so much sugar! I have never washed the fluoride off once spat out & honestly I think thats why!’ [sic]
Another said: ‘I never pay more than a pound for my toothpaste.’
Viewers of Jessica’s video quickly flooded the comments section with their opinions on what she had shared with many asking if fluoride was safe to use
Another TikTok fan shared: ‘I never knew this x’.
‘Thank you! Im a ortho therapist and have patients all the time who use silly toothpastes to “whiten” their teeth I use Colgate 99p a tube’. [sic]
‘How about no toxic fluoride – it’s a poison,’ wrote one person.
Asking Jessica directly, one person wrote: ‘Isn’t fluoride bad for us though? Fair it might protect our teeth but I’ve heard it’s bad for us in general.’
The dental expert replied with common sense advice: ‘Same as anything. If you down a bottle of shampoo will make you unwell. But using it on your toothbrush with a pea sized amount is perfectly safe.’ [sic]
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