Although there are many things I'd gladly share with others, a toothbrush is not one of them. There's something about sharing mouth cooties with another person that just grosses me out. But not everyone feels the same way. Apparently, some people are completely fine with going halfsies on a toothbrush with their significant other, as a recent debate on the forum Mumsnet proved.
Like all great debates of history, this one starts with an episode of Real Housewives.
After a "productive afternoon" spent in front of the TV watching the Real Housewives of Dallas, one anonymous poster recounted how a character on the show shared a toothbrush with her husband.
"Stephanie's husband bought her a new toothbrush as part of an anniversary present to stop her from using his," the commenter wrote.
That's great for Stephanie and all -- but to the poster this behavior was suspect.
Is the poster the only one who thinks it's nuts?
"Am I being unreasonable to think that sharing food debris, plaque and morning mouth grot with your beloved is beyond gross?" the person asked.
Surprisingly, a lot of people thought this was completely normal.
"Is it anymore gross than oral sex?" one person asked.
"You put his penis inside you, but a toothbrush is too gross?" someone else pointed out.
A third person put it this way: "Assuming you wash your toothbrush after use? Is it any worse than kissing / other intimate actions."
Other people agreed sharing a toothbrush was disgusting.
"No way. That's gross," one person commented.
"And I don't use the same towel either," someone else posted. "I've seen him floss his butt with the towel."
"Yuck no. I've been with Dear Husband for over 30 years and we've never once shared a toothbrush," a third person chimed in. "The thought makes me shudder."
The truth is -- sharing a toothbrush is not the best idea.
According to National Dental Care, when you share a toothbrush you are exposing your teeth and gums to new bacteria "and it may not play nicely with the bacteria your body already knows," the website noted.
"The particular mix of bacteria in your mouth is unique to you, so introducing new bacteria makes it possible to easily catch a cold, flu, or others germs from the bristles of your partner's toothbrush," according to the site. "You won't realize it when it happens, and even if your partner is clean and isn't suffering from a condition like a cold sore, using their brush spreads bacteria regardless, putting your teeth and gums at risk."
So yes, we do tend to ahem get intimate with other parts of our partner's body, but remember that a toothbrush is a tool for hygiene — so it's best to keep it to yourself.
