Don't (worry, that is!) - the oxide powders they use in toothpastes are the same as in rubbing compounds, and they rely on the powders being a lot harder than (say) paintwork. I am talking about applying x kg weight behind a polish pad for a few minutes; if you apply toothpaste to your teeth, you have a nice bendy brush and you only brush for a relatively short time.

Tooth enamel is incredibly hard (this is why archeologists aim for the jaw when they're looking for DNA fragments - enamel encapsulates it like a safe and doesn't rot even after thousands of years). And don't forget, the guys who mix toothpaste do know what they're doing - they choose very fine grade powders and they are very uniformly graded. The stuff in rubbing compound is uneven in grade (all the rubbish) and large grade to boot. Hmmmm - you pay 5 time as much for rubbing compund than for toothpaste, and toothpaste is generally a superior polishing product! Duhhhhh.

I also used to use it on my cornet when I played in a brass band (blimey, 25 years ago...) and it used to polish up a treat. I got nicknamed "Minty" for obvious reasons

One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015