How come I can’t use tooth paste to clean my body, or body soap to clean my teeth?
In: Chemistry
Toothpaste is a mildly abrasive cleaner, that’s why people used to claim it could fix scratches on CDs (mixed results in reality, would not recommend). It’s backed up with, in most cases, sodium fluoride, which helps prevent cavities.
The soap you use on your body is typically not abrasive (except exfoliating soaps) and is meant to deal with oil. Soap breaks up the oil into smaller drops, which can mix with the water. It works because soap is made up of molecules with two very different ends. One end of soap molecules love water – they are hydrophilic. The other end of soap molecues hate water – they are hydrophobic. Hydrophobic ends of soap molecule all attach to the oil. They mix with water, and can be washed away.
Most toothpastes actually don’t really do anything for your teeth other than give you a fresh breath. Toothpastes are in general not bactericidal nor is the flour amount in them enough to make any real difference. The most important part is to brush and floss as this removes (scrapes) the germs off your teeth.
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