The one thing you shouldn't do after brushing your teeth

It's one thing that most people automatically do after brushing their teeth: rinsing. But you shouldn't. That's right, you're just supposed to leave the gunk and remaining toothpaste in your mouth while you sleep... Well, not exactly, but kind of like that. 

You shouldn't be rinsing after you brush your teeth because it removes a lot of the fluoride that protects your teeth from cavities.

Dental Hygienist Sally Goss explained why to the Daily Mail, "We encourage people to spit out excess toothpaste when they have finished brushing, but not to rinse. This is because toothpaste contains fluoride which strengthens the teeth, so leaving the residue of toothpaste means this fluoride stays around the teeth for longer and so helps make them stronger."

Berkeley Wellness also explained, "Several studies have found that less is more when it comes to rinsing. For instance, in a small study in the International Dental Journal in 2013, rinsing once after brushing resulted in higher fluoride retention than rinsing three times."

So to keep those pearly whites, hold back from that rinsing!