By the time we’re adults, most of us probably think we’ve got brushing our teeth figured out. We’ve been doing it everyday for most of our lives, after all. However, there is one part of the process that many people get wrong: they rinse their mouths after brushing!

After brushing your teeth, you should be spitting out the toothpaste, not rinsing then spitting. If the fact that you’re not supposed to rinse your mouth after brushing comes as a big shock, don’t feel bad. This is a very understandable misconception. From what we can tell, patients think of toothpaste like soap: something that aids in the removal of debris then gets washed away. But toothpaste isn’t like that for one very important cavity-preventing reason: fluoride.

Fluoride in an ingredient in toothpaste that prevents tooth decay by re-mineralizing and strengthening teeth. However, the less time the fluoride is on your teeth, the less time it has to prevent tooth decay. By rinsing with water you are limiting fluoride’s active time on your mouth to the amount of time you’ve been brushing. And given that most people don’t even brush for the full two minutes that the dentist recommends, that is not nearly enough time!

Upon hearing this prohibition of rinsing, one of the biggest questions we hear about is the dangers of swallowing toothpaste. While you should never swallow significant amounts of toothpaste, ingesting a tiny bit mixed with saliva after brushing your teeth is unlikely to do you harm (especially when compared to the risks of gum disease and tooth decay). But if you’re still very worried about it, you can rinse a little using this method: sip about a teaspoon (5 mL) of water and swish it in your mouth with the toothpaste to create a toothpaste slurry, then spit.

If the thought of having chemicals other than fluoride lingering in your mouth bothers you, you can try finding an all-natural fluoride toothpaste that has fewer ingredients. If it’s the lingering minty flavor that bothers you, there are toothpaste flavors other than mint out there, including bubblegum, watermelon and cinnamon. Just be sure they still have fluoride.

As an added bonus, not rinsing can also be better for the environment. Many of us unconsciously leave the water in the sink running as we brush our teeth, in anticipation of rinsing our mouths and the brush out at the end, wasting about 3 gallons (12 liters) of water each time. People who rinse their mouths are much more likely to waste water than those who don’t, so once you stop rinsing, you’ll probably stop wasting too!

We all know that the only tried and true method of preventing cavities is regular brushing and flossing. However, that doesn’t stop researchers and dental patients alike from seeking other “life hacks” to maintain shiny smiles. Of course, the best way to promote good oral hygiene is to control what we put in our mouths in the first place!

As consumers are becoming more health-conscious, companies are seeking alternative sweeteners to sugar. As a well-known contributor to tooth decay and other health problems, sugar is always facing new competition. For certain products like chewing gum, the American Dental Association will only award its Seal of Acceptance to sugarless varieties.

With this incentive, many chewing gum manufacturers are now using sugar substitutes to satisfy your sweet tooth (without putting holes in it!). One of the most common sugar alternatives in chewing gum is xylitol. Unlike many other sweeteners, xylitol is not artificial and can be found in a variety of plants. Many claim that it effectively prevents the growth of cavity-causing bacteria and it has quickly become a popular ingredient in products on store shelves worldwide.

However, the American Dental Association says that the benefits of xylitol may be exaggerated. In recent studies of the sweetener, there has not been enough evidence to prove that xylitol prevents tooth decay. Despite anecdotal reports of success, we can’t say for sure that this sweetener has special teeth cleaning properties.

Don’t let this leave a bad taste in your mouth—there’s still good news! All forms of sugar-free gum, including xylitol-flavored gum, are still much better for your teeth than gum with sugar. The advantages are twofold: First, oral bacteria have a harder time surviving without sugar to feed them. The other benefit of chewing sugarless gum is that it increases the flow of saliva. Saliva is essential to preventing tooth decay because it washes away food particles and remineralizes your teeth to keep them strong.

While we can’t say xylitol is a dental care savior, feel free to pick up some sugar-free gum the next time you’re out shopping—your teeth will thank you! Just remember that a sugar substitute is never a substitute for thorough brushing and flossing.