A Philadelphia Phillies star player has found himself at the center of a social media controversy over his unconventional approach to dental hygiene.
Bryce Harper posted a morning routine video to his TikTok account, which has more than 600,000 followers, showing himself in a San Diego hotel bathroom. The post, labeled “Moring Y’all,” included a segment that left viewers stunned: Harper squeezing toothpaste directly from the tube into his mouth instead of putting it on his toothbrush first.
The unusual technique quickly drew criticism from social media users.
“Actually diabolical toothpaste application,” commented one TikTok user on the post.
The video gained widespread attention across multiple platforms, accumulating over 2.7 million views on Jomboy Media alone. The San Diego Padres even poked fun at Harper’s method by displaying it as a “fun fact” on their stadium videoboard, while British publication The Daily Mail reported that fans were “horrified” by his brushing approach.
Speaking to Phillies Nation from the visiting team’s clubhouse at Petco Park on Wednesday, Harper defended his longtime practice.
“It kind of happens when you post a little bit, right?” Harper said. “But yeah, I’ve done it forever.”
The American Dental Association took notice of the viral video and issued guidance discouraging others from copying Harper’s method.
“It is not suggested to do it that way,” stated Andrew Zucker, an Ohio dentist who serves as a consumer advisor for the organization.
After viewing the footage, Zucker initially assumed the two-time National League MVP was joking. However, Harper confirmed to the website that this has always been his standard tooth-brushing routine.
“I don’t think there’s anything to be gained,” Zucker commented on Thursday. “The only thing to be lost is just wasting a whole bunch of toothpaste.”
Zucker recommended a more traditional approach: “Just put a little pea-sized bit of it on a toothbrush and that’s all you need.”
During Tuesday night’s game, the Padres continued their playful ribbing by listing Harper’s biographical information on the scoreboard as: “SQUIRTS TOOTHPASTE INTO HIS MOUTH INSTEAD OF ONTO A TOOTHBRUSH WHEN BRUSHING HIS TEETH.”
Harper seemed to take the attention in stride, telling Phillies Nation: “I mean, it’s gone viral, so I’m happy about that. It always helps with my videos when it goes viral, so if that’s what makes it go viral, then I’ll take it.”
The dental professional noted that Harper’s approach is extremely rare. Despite his family background in dentistry and 45 years of experience, Zucker said the only time he’d witnessed the squeeze technique was with “my 3-year-old and it was because he was trying to eat it. But no, I’ve never seen an adult brush their teeth this way.”
Harper’s method appears to have served him well throughout his successful career, which includes 376 home runs and eight All-Star selections.
“If I help half a person a day, changing an ingredient or letting them know there are better quality products out there that they can use or that’ll make them feel better, then I won that day,” Harper explained.
Maria Ryan, chief clinical officer at Colgate-Palmolive, expressed specific concerns about the tube-to-mouth technique.
“My only concern would be, you have a lot of germs in your mouth,” Ryan said. “When you’re putting your mouth on the toothpaste tube, you get those germs on there. Sometimes people share toothpaste and things like that, so I worry about that a little bit.”
Despite the unconventional method, dental experts found a positive message in Harper’s viral moment. The baseball star’s influence could encourage young fans to maintain their oral hygiene habits.
“I was glad he was brushing his teeth,” Ryan noted. “I see he’s gotten a lot of views. It’s good he’s telling people you need to brush your teeth, which is very important for preventing cavities and gum disease.
“But it’s a unique way of doing it, for sure. So, I probably wouldn’t do it that way or instruct my patients to do it that way.”
