Jessica Potter is a UK-based dental hygienist and she recently went viral for a video talking about toothpaste.

In the clip, she claims that people are wasting money on expensive toothpaste and it's baffling to her.

Photo: TikTok/@jesspotter_xx

"Toothpaste doesn't clean your teeth," she says in the clip.

Of course, that might confuse some people since toothpaste has been a staple in dental hygiene for decades.

"I literally have patients that come in and have spent £7, £9 or even £10 on their toothpaste, and I'm like, 'Why? They are all the same. Just get a cheap one,'" she says, which leaves people wondering how they're the same.

Photo: Pexels/Miriam Alonso

Thankfully, she was more than happy to explain. Jessica notes that it's actually the brushing and flossing that cleans your teeth, not the toothpaste. She says the ideal way to clean our teeth is to use an electric toothbrush and floss or interdental brushes to get all of the surfaces of the teeth and in between the teeth.

The goal of toothbrushing is to remove any plaque build-up that might form. As it turns out, toothpaste isn't designed to help clean teeth but rather, to help protect them.

Photo: Pexels/cottonbro studio

"The reason we have toothpaste is because it has fluoride in it," Jessica says. She explains that the naturally occurring mineral protects teeth against decay and acid erosion and can actually remineralize surface decay.

Rather than reaching for the most expensive tubes, Jessica suggests looking for any tube that has at least 1,450 parts per million of fluoride in it. She claims that as long as they both have 1,450 ppm of fluoride, a $1 tube is as good as a $10 tube.

Another tip she gave for brushing is to spit the excess toothpaste out, but don't rinse right away.

Photo: Pexels/cottonbro studio

"Don't rinse with water, don't rinse with mouthwash. We want this fluoride to keep working for 30 minutes," she advises.

The UK's National Health Service confirms what Jessica said, saying: "After brushing, spit out any excess toothpaste. Don't rinse your mouth immediately after brushing, as it'll wash away the concentrated fluoride in the remaining toothpaste."

You can see her video below to learn more:

@jesspotter_xx Stop spending £££ on toothpaste!!! #dentistry #dentalhygienist #dentalhygiene #oralhealth #oralhygiene #oralhealthadvice #moneysavingtips #dentalhealth #dentist #dentaltips #tiktokhealth #dentaltiktok #tiktokheathtips #healthadvice #toothpaste #fy #fyp #foryou #foryoupage ♬ original sound - Jessica Anne