[Tom] White, the retired executive director of the Michigan School Business Officials group, is one of Dr. Daniel Sadler's patients. Sadler, an East Lansing dentist, has been telling his 1,500 patients for the past six or so years about an unusual plaque-busting technique called dry brushing.Here's the drill, according to Sadler:Brush your teeth for two minutes using a soft, dry toothbrush with no toothpaste.Use the brushing technique your dental hygienist recommends (circular or up and down including the gums).Make sure to hit the tough spots where plaque builds up, such as behind your bottom teeth.Use a dab of toothpaste at the end to get the fresh breath and the benefit from fluoride. Sadler says to simply put it on your tongue and swish.About six years ago, Sadler attended a Michigan Dental Association continuing education seminar by Ohio dentist and researcher Dr. Thomas C. Abrahamsen, who studied the effect of toothpaste on enamel. Abrahamsen, who died in 2012, advocated for brushing teeth without toothpaste. It's the friction from the brushing, not the toothpaste, that rids the teeth of plaque. And even toothpaste manufacturers recommend a pea-sized amount of toothpaste."Putnam: Dentist says swish, don't brush with toothpaste" by Judy Putnam, Lansing State JournalWhat is the main idea of this article?

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