I got some new toothpaste the other day and actually read the directions and it said squeeze out one inch onto toothbrush and brush for one minute. I thought 1” seemed excessive.
I’m old enough (older Gen Jones) that I remember being taught how to make a paste with baking soda and salt to clean my teeth. I have resorted to doing that in a pinch, on occasion.
I'm also Gen Jones, my mom used that growing up to brush her teeth but she did buy her kids toothpaste but told us not to waste it. We all ended up with a crap load of cavities. She changed her tune about "wasting" toothpaste!
Oh, yeah. We definitely had toothpaste. But, I was a curious kid and a voracious reader who spent nearly all of her time in the company of adults. (Closest sib was +10yrs & didn’t go to a local school.) I’d ask about what they did before [insert whatever] and they’d tell me and let me experience it, if possible (and desirable). The days before pre-packaged toothpastes like we knew weren’t that long gone. I’m pretty sure that some of my great-aunts never did make the switch. In fact, a rare visit to one of those aunts might be the reason for my having experienced it. We didn’t visit often when I was a kid, but I remember at least one of them still used an outhouse.
TIL about Gen Jones! After reading a little, it makes sense that my mother belongs to this cusp generation. I always thought she didn’t quite fit as a Boomer/Gen X.
Be careful with that. Baking soda is incredibly abrasive and you can permanently destroy your enamel. I've seen some horrifying pictures of teeth from people thinking they were saving money by brushing with baking soda.
Regular toothpaste that says it contains baking soda only has a very teeny-tiny amount.
193
u/Sleepyllama23 Aug 06 '25
A whole inch of toothpaste though!