Dean Poling: How well do you know the people who know your toothbrush?

Feb. 18—Toothbrushes are a matter of trust. Toothbrushes are representatives of your mouth when you're not there. They are usually left out in the open beside a seat that is used for, well, you all have bathrooms, you know what these seats are used for.

Yet, there's the toothbrush either hanging from a holder or leaning against the inside brim of a cup, and we trust that whomever else uses the bathroom will not mess with this instrument we regularly place in our mouths once or twice a day.

Granted, these folks are mostly family, so they should be the folks we trust the most. Family has each other's backs. Family stands by one another. Family loves one another.

Right?

Surely, the teenage child whom you told cannot go to the party can be trusted in the bathroom with your toothbrush, right?

Surely, the spouse whom you deeply love, but even still, had to endure an evening of your endless nagging because you had a bad day, surely this spouse can be trusted to be in the same bathroom as your toothbrush while you're in another room still ranting and raving at whatever has irritated you, right?

Some people who dearly love their families, but wouldn't trust taking an afternoon nap in the same room with them for fear a prankster child or spouse may stick a finger in an open, snoring mouth, will still leave a toothbrush sitting vulnerable and alone on a bathroom sink.

If a person doesn't trust family members to not fool with their mouths which are with said person every moment of the day, why would they trust this same family with his or her toothbrush?

Which means the toothbrush is more than just a matter of trust. It is an article of faith.

We have faith that the restaurant employee will wash his hands before bringing our food. We have faith that no one will intentionally mess with our toothbrush, or if there is an accident, we have faith that our family will tell us.

It's a truly mean family member who will do something to another family member's toothbrush. After all, everyone's toothbrush is equally exposed; however, if one family member keeps his toothbrush under lock and key that may be a good indication that all family members may want to do the same.

But it's the less insidious things we have to weigh considering the toothbrush. A parent probably doesn't have to worry about a punished child reaping vengeance by means of covert toothbrush contamination, or even an irritated spouse, though the thought of toothbrush revenge should cause all of us to quickly examine how we treat our families.

No, it's the mistake we have to consider. For example, if your spouse accidentally drops your toothbrush on the floor beside of the toilet, does he throw it away and tell you? Or does he rinse it off, place it back in the holder, and decide that should be fine, there's no need for you to know?

Once, after a sweaty bit of yard work, my smelly, old T-shirt caught on my wife's and my toothbrushes. Just for a couple of seconds. I warmed up the water, rinsed them off and felt that should be fine. But then it struck me that I probably would want to know if something happened to my toothbrush. So, I told my wife. And even though I was fine still using my same toothbrush, she opted to throw hers away and buy a new one.

She may not feel like her toothbrush is safe, but at least, she can have faith that if I cause something to happen to it, she will know.

Which in turn, gives me faith that she will cause no intentional harm to my toothbrush and she will let me know if something happens.

Actually, she's a much better person than me. If something happened to my toothbrush, she would just buy me a new toothbrush.

So, my toothbrush trust is assured, my dental hygiene faith renewed.

But back when the kids still lived at home and I told them to clean their rooms ... Then, thinking back, well maybe, we should all lock up our toothbrushes.

Dean Poling is an editor with The Valdosta Daily Times and editor of The Tifton Gazette.