complained about the way people store
their toothbrushes after each use. He
noted that while people would store
their soaps in dry soap cases so that
they don't get soggy, the same thing
couldn't be said about the treatment we
give our toothbrushes.
His major grouse is that after each use,
we simply toss our toothbrushes into a
container usually hung in the bathrooms
or near the bathroom entrance. The
ostensible reason for this is that we
want to make them accessible once we
are prepared to take our bath, which is
almost always accompanied with tooth
brushing.
Germ-ridden toothbrush
Yet, dentists are of the opinion that
what we expose our toothbrushes to
can make or mar our overall health.
Take, for instance, the unintended
"bath" that toothbrushes hung in the
bathroom are exposed to on a regular
basis. The University of Arizona
environmental microbiologist, Charles
Gerba, says germs in faeces can be
propelled into the air when you flush
the toilet. As such, hanging your
toothbrush container in the restroom
provides viable landing pads for the
flying germs. And whenever you use
your toothbrush after each flushing, you
already have a faint idea of what you are
transferring to your mouth. Eeew!
"The greatest aerosol dispersal occurs
not during the initial moments of the
flush, but rather once most of the water
has already left the bowl," says the
Director of Clinical Microbiology and
Diagnostic Immunology at New York
University Medical Centre, Dr. Philip
Tierno.
Relocate your toothbrush
Gerba the environmental microbiologist
warns that the aerosols travel as far as
six to eight feet away from the toilet!
He advises that it is not healthy to leave
toothbrushes exposed in the bathroom;
rather, he says, toothbrushes should be
covered and protected; while toilet lids
should be closed before flushing.
With this information on your finger tips,
you may want to relocate your
toothbrush to safer parts of the home.
Indeed, Associate Professor and Director
of the Dental Hygiene Research Centre
at Old Dominion University, Gayle
McCombs, counsels, "You don't store
your plates and glasses by the toilet, so
why would you want to place your
toothbrush there? It's just common
sense to store your toothbrush as far
away from the toilet as possible."
Reduce risk of contamination
Researchers warn that generally,
toothbrushes are never free of germs.
This, they say, is because the mouth
houses millions of germs, and whenever
we brush, the toothbrush gets coated
with plaque and other materials that
stick to teeth (such as food particles).
Again, toothbrush can be contaminated
with oral bacteria, blood, and saliva,
physicians warn. Researchers at the
University of Manchester, England, in a
study found that one uncovered
toothbrush can harbour as many as 100
million bacteria, including E. coli that has
been implicated in causing diarrhoea;
and staphylococci bacteria that cause
skin infections. In general, bacteria
cause gum disease, tooth decay and bad
breath, dentists say.
That is why a dentist, Dr. Toyin Elemide,
advises that in order to reduce the risk
of contamination, you should rinse your
toothbrush thoroughly every time you
brush your teeth.
Replace toothbrush regularly
By the way, how long you use a
toothbrush also matters, as experts
advise that we change our toothbrushes
every three months. According to
experts at the British Dental Health
Foundation, toothbrush could be the
cause of repeated mouth infections.
They are of the view that bacteria not
only thrive on the bristles of old
toothbrushes, they also pose the risk of
transmitting organisms responsible for
diseases throughout the body!
Physicians also advise that when you are
recovering from an illness, change your
toothbrush, as it may have been
infected by bacteria that caused your
illness in the first place.
Those whose immune system has also
been suppressed as a result of diseases
such as HIV or AIDS are especially
counseled to change their toothbrushes
earlier than the recommended three-
month interval. This will limit the
number of the bacteria on your
toothbrush and also save you the
trauma of oral infection.
The Chief Executive of the BDHF, Dr.
Nigel Carter, counsels, "By replacing a
toothbrush more often, we can prevent
a lot of unnecessary illness and disease.
The strongest argument to change your
toothbrush regularly is to prevent re-
infection following the flu or a cold. A
dirty toothbrush can also be responsible
for many ear, nose and throat
infections." Scary!
Don't share toothbrush
And, would you know that sharing your
toothbrush with anybody — including
your spouse, children or siblings —
exposes you to huge risk of infection?
Elemide says it could make you
susceptible to myriads of mouth and
other health problems.
Remember also, it is not only advisable
to hang your toothbrush holder in safe
place, in addition, take time to clean the
holder once in a while, as they also
could harbour germs.
Caring for your toothbrush
•Do not share toothbrushes. The
exchange of body fluids that such
sharing would foster places toothbrush
sharers at an increased risk for
infections, a particularly important
consideration for persons with
compromised immune systems or
infectious diseases.
• After brushing, rinse your toothbrush
thoroughly with tap water to ensure the
removal of toothpaste and debris, allow
it to air-dry, and store it in an upright
position. If multiple brushes are stored
in the same holder, do not allow them
to contact each other.
• It is not necessary to soak
toothbrushes in disinfecting solutions or
mouthwash. This practice actually may
lead to cross-contamination of
toothbrushes if the same disinfectant
solution is used over a period of time or
by multiple users.
• It is also unnecessary to use
dishwashers, microwaves, or ultraviolet
devices to disinfect toothbrushes. These
measures may damage the toothbrush.
• Do not routinely cover toothbrushes or
store them in closed containers. Such
conditions (a humid environment) are
more conducive to bacterial growth than
the open air.
• Replace your toothbrush every 3-4
months or sooner if the bristles appear
worn or splayed. Children's
toothbrushes often need replacing more
frequently than adult brushes. This
recommendation of the American
Dental Association is based on the
expected wear of the toothbrush and its
subsequent loss of mechanical
effectiveness, not on its bacterial
contamination.
Source: Centres for Disease Control
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