How Astronauts Brush Their Teeth In Space

Ever asked yourself how astronauts comb their teeth in space? You can learn everything about exactly how this typical day-to-day job is a little harder in no gravity …

Combing our teeth is one of the most regular, yet needed, tasks we do daily. Nonetheless, have you ever before been standing at the sink cleaning your teeths as well as questioned exactly how astronauts on the International Space Station and other vessels brush their teeth?

some methods, the actions that astronauts require to follow to comb their teeth are just as routine as how we clean ours right here on the terra firma. Other components, however, are uncommon and otherworldly to us land occupants.

The Tools Needed Brush Pearly Whites Area

Think it or otherwise, they use the very same tooth brush as well as toothpaste that they make use of when they brush their teeth in the world (no freeze-dried tooth paste!). One factor to consider that is required when selecting a toothpaste tube is the lid.

Astronauts are encouraged to pick a toothpaste that has the lid attached to television rather than a screw-top lid.

The factor for this is basic: They do not want their lid to float away while they’re brushing!

Likewise, a tiny quantity of water is needed for toothbrushing. Right here on earth, we merely open the tap and use the water directly from the sink. However a free-flowing sink can cause a wide variety of problems in a zero-gravity setting. rather, astronauts just use water from plastic bags that they drink with a connected straw. This is a safety measure that protects against water from drifting away and also touchdown on any kind of electrical equipment.

Just How Astronauts Brush Their Pearly Whites Room?

Hadfield, commander of the International Space Station, recently dished on the ins-and-outs of their everyday routine.

Astronauts begin by affixing their tube of tooth paste to the wall surface. After that, they take their water bag and capture a decrease of water onto the brush to dampen it, followed by a small amount of tooth paste. After their tooth brush is readied, they clean their teeth much like they typically would if they were home in the world.

Now that their teeth are clean and also sparkling, what do they do with the tooth paste?

Believe it or otherwise … they have to swallow it! Because there’s no sink to spew into, this is their only option. No doubt, this needs to take some obtaining made use of to! Then, they take one more drink of water to cleanse their mouth of any kind of remaining paste and also ingest that also.

The final agenda is to press an additional small amount of water onto the toothbrush and clean the brush with a towel. completion, the procedure is extremely near to toothbrushing in the world. The lack of gravity is the primary issue that complicates the process.

Keeping Your Teeth Clean Wherever You Are

Whether cleaning your teeth is a celestial or terrestrial job, do not neglect that great oral health is vitally important.

Astronauts are required to undergo an extensive dental analysis before they’re introduced into space, as well as those of us who’ll never reach the celebrities need to bear in mind that we require to have our teeth skillfully cleaned up as well as inspected every 6 months.

Despite where you call residence, good dental health is necessary!

Picture was sourced from the NASA Image and Video Collection. The media use standards provide specific permission for this image to be made use of for web pages.