Things about Japan: Brushing Teeth

When the bell signifying the end of lunch chimes, several things happen all at once. The quiet staff room suddenly becomes a bustling thoroughfare for teachers returning from their homerooms, students searching for So-and-So-sensei to ask about the homework for tomorrow, and staff members trying to both remove the food and start the tea in the lunch/post-lunch change-over. Still by far the strangest activity to me is this: within five minutes of the lunch being over, the kitchen sink is one of the hardest places to access in the staff room. Why?
Teachers are brushing their teeth.

As soon as the lunch trays are whisked away, toothbrushes appear from within desks and purses, often in small cases and accompanied by small tubes of toothpaste. These kits can be purchased in most dollar stores and convenience stores. Even funnier, though, is when lunch is had outside of the school - rather than brushing at the restaurant, a mass movement to brush occurs once everyone has returned to the school. While part of me is impressed by their dedication, the feeling is undercut by the fact that the toothpaste with which they brush, as well as the water from the tap, are both lacking entirely in fluoride.