Shabbat and Toothbrushing

Greetings,

1. It is prohibited to cut nails on Shabbat.

2. The common custom among Ashkenazim is to avoid brushing teeth on Shabbat and Yom Tov, even without toothpaste (see "Shmirat Shabbat Kehilchatah," Part 1, Chapter 14, Section 39).

However, according to Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, zt"l, someone for whom abstaining from brushing teeth will cause them distress is permitted to brush their teeth on Shabbat, provided it is not clear that it will result in bleeding. Nevertheless, it is preferable to use a special toothbrush for Shabbat to avoid the concern of performing weekday activities, and one should not rinse the toothbrush after use (if they do not intend to use it again on Shabbat) because of the prohibition against preparing from Shabbat for weekday. Nevertheless, according to his opinion, someone who can completely avoid using toothpaste on Shabbat without experiencing distress is better off being stringent and refraining from doing so ("Yabia Omer," Part 4, Part of Orach Chaim, Section 27-30, and "Hilchot Olam," Part 4, Pages 210-211).

Blessings,

Hillel Meirs