Is It Ever OK to Use Your Partner’s Toothbrush? The Atlanta Housewives Have *Feelings* About It

The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 11 is just beginning, and already, the ladies are in an uproar. There will be so much more drama to come, we can safely assume, but this one centers on toothbrushes. That's right. Your everyday bathroom fixture set these ladies off. Here's how it all began: 

When Porsha Williams asked the other 'Wives if they would ever consider sharing a toothbrush with a partner, let's just say there were some different opinions. To be honest, it did get us thinking: Is it unsanitary to share a toothbrush with someone, even if that someone is very close to you? 

To get to the bottom of this, we consulted a doctor named Google. (OK, it wasn't a doctor at all. It was just Google.) As Central Dental would have it, nope, it is not OK to use someone else's toothbrush, even if this someone is a person you kiss. The reason, we warn you, is pretty graphic: 

"Your mouth is teeming with bacteria ... It’s only natural that bacteria would transfer to the bristles of your toothbrush, and from there to your spouse’s mouth when he/she uses the toothbrush next. In this way, bacteria can go back and forth between the two of you, and this can be dangerous because of the potential for spreading harmful bacteria." Thank you, Central Dental! We're feeling a bit squeamish now. 

However, Esquire has another take on the issue. Dr. Matt Messina, spokesperson for the American Dental Association, told the mag: "Our body has excellent immune system protection, so for the average person, we're not talking about huge risk of anything." He did add, however, "If we're living with somebody, over time we gradually end up with the same bacterial populations, whether we're sharing a toothbrush or not, but the general thought behind it is: We wouldn't go into somebody's mouth, take bacteria and plaque off their teeth, and feed it to somebody else — that's just gross." 

Or, as Nene Leakes said, "I’m almost about to throw up in the back of my mouth a little bit." 

Sounds like she'll need a toothbrush after that.