What happens if you swallow toothpaste?

Toothpaste is a very common phenomenon in our daily life. Under normal circumstances, everyone needs to brush their teeth. However, many people may have swallowed toothpaste by mistake while brushing their teeth. Some people feel uncomfortable after swallowing toothpaste and worry that toothpaste will affect their health. In fact, if you swallow a small amount, there is generally no big problem, and the human body will metabolize it on its own.

Is it okay to eat toothpaste?

Usually nothing will happen

The ingredients of toothpaste are relatively complex, but after all, it is a substance that comes into direct contact with the human oral cavity, so it is non-toxic and eating a small amount will not cause too much problem. Toothpaste usually contains abrasives, moisturizers, surfactants, thickeners, pigments, etc. There are also some fluoride-containing toothpastes that contain some fluoride, which the human body will metabolize and digest, so it is okay to eat a small amount.

Other uses of toothpaste

In addition to keeping the mouth clean, toothpaste has many other uses. It is easy to sweat in the summer, and there are sweat stains on clothes, you can add some toothpaste to wash them off; when polishing leather shoes, you can add some toothpaste to the shoe polish, and the leather shoes will be polished brighter; toothpaste can also be used to wipe glass and water rust; if there are stains on the mirror, you can also use toothpaste to wipe them off, the decontamination effect of toothpaste is still good.

Precautions

Toothpaste should not be used by the whole family together, as toothpaste will be contaminated with bacteria from everyone's mouth, and using the same toothpaste may cause cross-infection. A tube of toothpaste should not be used for too long, as it is often exposed to the air, and the ingredients in it may change. Toothpaste should not be used to remove acne, as toothpaste has no effect on removing acne. Instead, it will stimulate the growth of acne and may leave acne marks.

Correct use

Studies have shown that the amount of saliva secreted in a person's mouth during the day and at night is different. The amount of saliva secreted during the day is several times that of the night, and the bactericidal function of saliva can inhibit the production of bacteria; bacteria generally multiply faster during sleep. Therefore, we should use different toothpastes to brush our teeth in the morning and evening to help remove bacteria in the oral cavity.

There are many fluoride toothpastes on the market now, but long-term use is not recommended. Long-term use of fluoride toothpaste can cause side effects, such as spotting of teeth and leading to dental fluorosis.

Toothpaste generally does not come with instructions for use, suitable groups, or dosage, but advertisements often show scenes of toothpaste filling up a toothbrush. In fact, you only need a small amount of toothpaste every time you brush your teeth to keep your mouth and teeth healthy and clean.

Don't use the same tube of toothpaste as a family.

Everyone's mouth is an environment where many kinds of bacteria exist. No matter how carefully we brush our teeth, we can only reduce the bacteria remaining on the surface of the teeth. It is impossible to completely eliminate them, especially in the gaps between the bristles of the toothbrush where bacteria will adhere.

If a family shares a tube of toothpaste, the bacteria in everyone's mouth will gather at the mouth of the tube and then be carried away by other people's toothbrushes. Therefore, the more people use the same tube of toothpaste, the more bacteria accumulate at the mouth of the toothpaste tube, and the higher the chance of bacterial transmission.