14 Things You Should Never Brush Your Teeth With

So, you're away from home and forgot to pack your toothpaste — what should you do? In a pinch, Colgate recommends brushing with mouthwash, chewing some sugar-free gum, or gently brushing with a pinch of sea salt. Don't have those things? Chances are soap is available to you. But, despite the desperate situation you find yourself in, put down the soap.

Gerald Judd, a retired chemistry professor at Purdue University, was an advocate of brushing his teeth with soap. Physician W. Gifford-Jones explained Judd's thinking in an article on his site, writing, "Judd claimed that glycerine is present in all toothpastes and it is so sticky that it requires 27 washes to remove it. If teeth remain coated with glycerine and are not clean, enamel cannot be built up." Judd predicted that soap, however, would simply get rid of the bacteria and plaque. Gifford-Jones gave the soap a go and, although he found it was quite effective on cleaning his incisors, it was wholly ineffective at clearing plaque on his canine teeth.

Not to mention, if you brush your teeth with soap that means you run the risk of swallowing soap, which can lead to throat swelling, abdominal pain, and other symptoms.