The OTC fluoride rinse (ACT anti cavity) It says to swish with it for one minute (which burns like heck I want to only do it for 20 seconds) then not drink or eat for a half a hour. I'm wondering how necessary all this is. Toothpaste has fluoride in it and you only brush with it for a short time then rinse it out. Tap water has fluoride in it and it only contact your teeth for seconds. How necessary is it to actually swish with it for a full minute then not drink for 30 minutes. Ideally I would swish with it for 20-30 seconds, then rinse it out afterwards (as it drys out my mouth) and drink water how I please.

Very Necessary, Follow the directions... because it takes one minute to penitrate your teeth... if you rince it out right away its not going to finish penitrating your teeth... and because its far more concentrated than toothpaste or drinking water (very weak)... it will cause problems with your pancreas.

In fact ingesting toothpaste has high enough concentrations to cause problems if swallowed rather than spit out.

Its only an hour... its not going to hurt to wait that long... and its not that much of an inconvienience.


If you think it is... talk to anyone that has false teeth sometime. Follow your dentists directions to the letter... and you mioght keep your real teeth a lot longer.

I have used that item for a couple of years by now, has never burned.
Talk to your dentist about that.