Why You Need to Clean and Replace Your Toothbrush
By April | September 13, 2007
C’mon admit it, how long have you actually owned and used your current toothbrush? Have you just recently bought it or is it more than three months old? If it’s the latter then you should buy a new one at you’re earliest convenience.
Why do you need to replace your toothbrush? Well, it’s because over time the bristles start to break down. They become frayed and start to splay out. Once this breakdown starts to happen, it’s not going to be possible for your toothbrush to work as effectively or efficiently as one with bristles that are standing straight up.
It might interest you to know that even if your brush is fairly new, you should replace it if you have recently recovered from an illness or infection. This is because bacteria can linger in the bristles and using that toothbrush may cause re-infection.
Even if you’ve been in top health, bacteria may still be in your toothbrush’s bristles if you haven’t washed it thoroughly after use. Food particles can remain on bristles and that can lead to the development of bacteria, another reason why frequently changing your toothbrush is a good idea.
When you’ve cleaned your teeth it only takes a few moments more to rinse out the brush and make sure it’s free of food particles. The purpose of a toothbrush of course is to remove food and plaque from your teeth. So it makes sense to remove these particles from your brush after each use.
Whatever you do, don’t be tempted to clean your toothbrush in the dishwasher. It will only cause it damage.
You also want to make sure that your brush is not left in an environment which allows bacteria to grow. This means that it should be stored upright in an open container. Not in an airtight container where there’s no air circulating.
When storing your brush keep it away from other brushes as this can cause cross-contamination. Also never share your brush with anyone else. To date, there’s not been any solid proof that toothbrush sanitizers or mouth rinses with antibacterial agents offer any better protection than good cleaning habits so read the product’s claims carefully before making any purchases.
And always remember – when in doubt, throw it out!
Topics: Health |
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