Astronauts Face Unique Brushing Problems
Down here on earth most people never think about the different steps that go into brushing, but up in space each of these steps poses a unique challenge. First, you have to wet your toothbrush, but since spaceships and the International Space Station do not have any taps with running water, this can be tricky. If they did have a tap with running water, the water would float everywhere and short circuit electronics left and right. In the video we see how the astronaut pushes a small blob of water out of his water pouch and then soaks it up with the head of his toothbrush. He then has to suck the extra water out of the toothbrush, because where else could it go?
The next two steps are the same as down here on earth. Astronauts use normal toothpaste and brush for the same two minutes. However, once they are done brushing they are faced with yet another problem. Without sinks and running water there is no place to rinse and spit. So they are forced to swallow. Even though it is kind of gross there is no real harm in swallowing toothpaste, it won’t hurt your stomach or make you sick. Lastly, once you are done brushing, you have to rinse your toothbrush, which is again a problem because there is no running water in space. To get around this problem, the astronaut squirts some water into his mouth and then sticks the head of the brush back into his mouth and rinses it much the same way as a person would rinse with mouthwash.
Someone watching this video might wonder why they do not use mouthwash to rinse their toothbrush instead of just plain water, but because everything that is brought into space takes up room in a very crowded environment and adds extra weight that makes it tougher for the rockets to propel the ship upward, mouthwash is simply not important enough to make the cut. Now that you have seen what a chore it is to brush your teeth in space, you should be able to appreciate just how easy you have it here on earth, and hopefully realize that laziness is an awful excuse not to brush.
Brushing Your Teeth Underwater
Sharks have a unique problem. They have all those teeth but no way to brushing them. So the ocean has evolved a unique way to deal with this issue. There are a number of small fish and shrimp that scavenge for little bits of food in and among reefs, on the ocean floor, and surprisingly in the mouths of sharks. People’s normal first reaction to this is to think about why the sharks don’t just eat the little fish as they swim into their mouths. Well, sharks have come to realize that if they do not eat these little fish they will get their teeth cleaned. It is a nice symbiotic relationship.
These little fish and shrimp are not too picky about whose teeth they clean. In this video we see a diver who opens his mouth up to these little under water dentists. The fish make pretty quick work of his mouth and then move on. While these little guys are not as good as a dentist, when you are underwater you have to take what you can get.
Dr. Potts is a gentle, caring dentist who uses the most advanced materials and procedures available. He practices comfortable, health-centered dentistry, with a strong emphasis on getting to know each patient. In addition to his technical proficiency, Dr. Potts is a careful listener. He makes sure to understand what you want and will explain beforehand what treatment is best for your individual needs, along with all options available to you. Check out our Twitter, Facebook page, and website.
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