This is The Nooner, a (very short) daily newsletter slash podcast that has its very own section within Dispatches from Inner Space.
To see the first post, which doubles as an explainer, click here.
Also a quick reminder that you can listen to the podcast version of each post wherever you listen to podcasts.
Here’s what happened.
I asked my dentist about a rash on the inside of my mouth. It had come and gone a few times by that point -- a patchy redness that didn’t hurt but looked pretty inflamed. I figured since I was already there for a cleaning, I should mention it.
After peering at the inside of my cheeks with a puzzled expression for a few minutes, she asked me what kind of toothpaste I was using. I told her I used the cheapest stuff money could buy: Pepsodent.
Then she nodded and said some of the cheaper toothpastes use ingredients that can irritate sensitive mouths.
“Try getting a toothpaste designed for sensitive mouths,” she said, and recommended a couple of brands.
Now, I already knew I had a sensitive mouth, so it made sense to me that my super cheap toothpaste might be part of the problem. It also made sense that using one of the brands she recommended could make a difference. So I said thanks, and left with every intention of picking up a new tube at the store.
But then I started thinking, what does toothpaste even do? What is it for?
Most people, including myself, assume it’s some kind of mouth soap. You’ve got hand soap, body wash, shampoo, and toothpaste -- the four main soap groups.
But I started learning about microbiomes over ten years ago, and stopped using soap on most of my body, including my face. Since then, the science on the subject has gotten better, and my skin has never been healthier.
It turns out it’s not great to kill off your skin’s microbiome every day. But now I started to wonder if mouth soap was any better.
Instead of buying an expensive tube of toothpaste “designed for sensitive mouths,” why not try cutting it out altogether and see what happens?
I was already vigilant about brushing and flossing, so I wondered what would happen if the only thing I changed was to not use toothpaste.
Spoiler alert: I never went back.
My mouth has never been healthier. My teeth are in great shape, and my breath is probably better than yours.
Click at least one of these or else…
…I’ll eat a live wombat.
I haven’t used toothpaste in two years