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If you brush teeth in bed, then once finished swallow the leftover toothpaste before falling asleep, is this bad over a long period of time?

I'm specifically asking about the health effects to the teeth of not rinsing, but also any other negative health effects to the body.

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    Since I have gastritis my stomach hurts if is swallow just a bit of toothpaste..
    – user3462
    Apr 25, 2016 at 6:40

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I have never cleaned my teeth in bed or in space but both have a common problem - where to spit? Chris Hadfield made a video while on the ISS and said "swallow": https://youtu.be/M-Vqe1NGSKw?t=112 It is reasonable to assume his advice has come from NASA's medical team and is trustworthy and safe.

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  • I suspect his toothpaste also comes from NASA's medical team and thus probably does not contain the anti-pain/sensitivity chemicals found in Sensodyne. The company that makes Sensodyne should have info on whether/how much is safe to swallow.
    – Armand
    Jul 25, 2021 at 0:37
  • @Armand I edited the question and removed Sensodyne because that makes it too much of a specific product/medical advice question. It's not a good question to begin with but it's old, posted when the site had different standards, and the OP hasn't been back in 4 years so I doubt they'll object to my edits.
    – Carey Gregory
    Jul 25, 2021 at 4:02
  • Sorry, I try to remember to check the question date to avoid such zombies - thanks for fixing things.
    – Armand
    Jul 25, 2021 at 4:35

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