Some believe that the toothpaste industry was responsible for this stance, as Pepsodent advocated this policy as early as 1919, before there was any data in either direction (Big Business strikes again). But even though debunked, it’s one of the reasons that dentists promote the concept of frequent brushing as a preventative for dental caries, a notion that remains with us today. Maybe there is something to it—for instance, frequent brushing was recently shown to be associated with reduced risks for heart failure, just not for dental caries. You
