Posted by ...for that ring of confidence on March 08, 2001 at 08:02:23:
In Reply to: Toothpaste... posted by Jay on March 07, 2001 at 18:50:40:
Unless your "rinse-out" after the teeth cleaning with toothpaste is particularly slap-dash, you will have very little toothpaste that is able to get into the horn...
and in any case it would do no harm...
AND I believe it would be far preferable to take that "risk" than to be inadvertently spitting miniscule food particles down the horn (as a result of a less thorough tooth-clean...)
The (only very slightly) abrasive quality of toothpaste means it's be a better cleaning job (brushing) with the paste than just water. As mentioned elsewhere, this quality also makes it good for cleaning various parts of the instrument...where it should also be completely rinsed off.
Sure, horns get gunked up no matter what we do, but it's much more pleasant when sugary coffee-ey exhalations are NOT involved. Although I confess to making a personal blanket exception with beer!
Colleagues say "wow, how conscientious" when they see me poised with toothbrush and paste after the coffee break... and I always say "Well, it's easier to clean my teeth than to clean my tuba".
And I do firmly believe that this strategy gains me added "mileage" between horn-cleans (which are ALWAYS overdue).
And I am the most conciencious with my rotary valved instruments (because I can't dismantle those valves and do the thorough cleaning that I can do with pistons)...
Eve "non-techie" Flatt