How To Keep A Clean Toothbrush – Follow These Basics

By Philip Yiga | July 8, 2015

If the toothbrush you are using to brush your teeth is not clean, it can lead to serious oral diseases. In fact, scientists have found out that even after visibly rinsing-clean a toothbrush, it can remain contaminated with potential pathogenic organisms like bacteria. However, there are proper cleaning and storage habits that will help to keep your toothbrush extremely clean and these have been provided in this article hence you should take some time to read through it.

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METHOD-1:  KEEPING YOUR TOOTHBRUSH CLEAN WHILE USING IT:

• Don’t share toothbrushes: sharing toothbrushes means that you’re also sharing bodily germs and fluids. This can actually lead to serious oral infections like gum-disease and others. So, never share your toothbrush with anyone even though you love them so much because people have different illnesses.

• Clean hands before handling a toothbrush: try to always wash your hands before handling a toothbrush in order to avoid bacteria within your hands from moving towards the toothbrush. However, most people often rush straight for the toothpaste and toothbrush before washing their hands and this is not good at all.

• Clean the toothbrush before and after brushing: wash your toothbrush before and after brushing by simply holding it under hot-water and then rub your thumb back and forth over the bristles. This will ensure that all the toothpaste and germs are removed hence making the toothbrush perfect for brushing.

• Shake to dry the toothbrush after cleaning it: always shake your toothbrush dry after washing it because if you keep it wet, you will be welcoming an environment of bacteria which will later spread your mouth the next time you brush.

• Replace a toothbrush every 3-4 months: in case you have an electric-toothbrush, replace the brush-head every 3 to 4 months. However, you can replace the toothbrush sooner in case you notice that the bristles are becoming bent or fraying. On the other hand, in case you are using a manual toothbrush, then replace it every 3-months.

 

METHOD-2:  STORE THE TOOTHBRUSH PROPERLY:

• Never store a toothbrush in a closed container: do not store a toothbrush in a closed-container because high humidity creates a perfect environment for bacteria growth. Additionally, in case you decide to use a toothbrush protector when travelling, then make sure that your toothbrush is dry before placing it into the protector. Likewise, try to clean the toothbrush protector regularly in order to hinder bacteria development.

• Keep your toothbrush upright: storing a toothbrush upright allows water to get drained from the bristles. This even helps to keep the toothbrush away from bacteria that grows in moist or water surrounded areas. This can actually be seen in case you store a toothbrush in cup whereby scum collects at the bottom. This also implies that storing a toothbrush a brush-head side makes it lay in the scum that collects at the bottom and this is not healthy at all. All in all, try to hang your toothbrush on holder so that water can easily drain out of the brush-head.

• Store the toothbrush at least 2-feet away from the toilet: keeping your toothbrush away from the toilet is very important because when you flush, particles and bacteria escaping from the toilet may accidentally land on the toothbrush hence contaminating it. However, there is no evidence that such bacteria can cause illness but its best to keep your toothbrush away from the toilet in order to be safe.

• Clean the toothbrush holder: try to clean your toothbrush holder for at least once a week because the bacteria which accumulate on this holder can easily be transmitted to the toothbrush and then to the mouth while brushing. In fact, it is also very important to clean the toothbrush-holder regularly in case it has a closed bottom in order to hinder any bacteria development that may spread over the toothbrush.

• Don’t let toothbrushes come into contact: try to avoid toothbrushes from coming into contact with each other in case you are storing them in one container because this will allow for the transmission of bacteria and bodily-fluids from one toothbrush to another hence leading to serious oral diseases. So make sure that the toothbrushes are independent of each other while in the same container or you may even try to purchase a toothbrush-holder because it helps to separate your toothbrushes perfectly.

 

METHOD-3:  TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES:

• Know that the measures listed above are at times enough: for some people, there is no need to completely disinfect a toothbrush by using disinfecting solutions or deep-cleaning it. Likewise, some deep-cleaning methods like dishwasher and boiling a toothbrush in water actually damage the toothbrush. However, there are some circumstances deep-cleaning is advisable and these will be listed below.

• Take extra precaution in case someone is sick at home: this will involve throwing away the sick person’s toothbrush and any other toothbrushes that came into contact with it in-order to prevent sickness from spreading. In case you’re sick and you live alone, then soak the toothbrush in antibacterial mouthwash for about 10-minutes illness the illness cures.

• Take extra precaution in case you have a compromised immune -system or when susceptible to illnesses: even small amounts of bacteria can be harmful for people with compromised immune systems so its advised to keep your toothbrush disinfected at all times. Secondly, try to rinse the toothbrush with antibacterial mouth-rinse before brushing because this reduces on the amount of bacteria deposited on the toothbrush. Additionally, soak the toothbrush in antibacterial mouth-rinse after each use to reduce on bacteria accumulation.

• Take extra precaution in case you have braces other any other mouth appliances: studies have shown that people wearing appliances on their teeth collect more germs from their toothbrushes than those without these appliances on their teeth. This means that in case you have teeth-appliances, then you should try to rinse the toothbrush with an antibacterial mouth-rinse before brushing the teeth in order to reduce on the amount of bacteria that is deposited on the toothbrush for best results.