Is Toothbrush Cleaning Truly Necessary?

Ah, the human mouth. Never has there existed a worse den of bacteria, dirt, and infection. Bites from people are more likely to result in gangrene than any other animal bite. This happens because of a lot of bacteria is our mouths. When you think about the bathrooms we keep our toothbrushes in, there are numerous bacteria in them as well. According to yazdanidental.com, cleaning your toothbrush whether for a toddler or adult is vital. The process of having a clean toothbrush extends beyond rinsing it right after a brush. Sanitizing your toothbrush with a commercial product is one option, but it doesn’t kill all the germs in the bristles of the brush. Sterilizing in boiling water, on the other hand, kills everything on the brush, making it perfectly clean. The big question here is this: do you honestly need to sanitize or sterilize your brush?

Bacteria Grow in Scary Places

According to authorities like the ADA, there are no commercially marketed products that can actually sterilize your toothbrush. It isn’t even necessary to do so, as long as you take good care of it each time you brush. In fact, it isn’t a proven fact that the bacteria that grow on toothbrush bristles can have a harmful effect on humans exposed to them.

As a rule of thumb, remember that bacteria prefer to breathe and reproduce in the dark, moist spaces. If you have a toothbrush container or cover, consider getting rid of it. Get yourself a holder instead, so that it dries in the air and is open to the environment. It is a good idea to keep each brush standing on its own – you don’t want it to touch the bristles of other people’s brushes.

Rinse Your Brush in Warm Water

What do you do when you are done brushing your teeth? Most people would only give the brush a quick rinse, rinse their mouths, and leave. However, this isn’t nearly as useful as a proper rinse in warm water, which can clean out leftover food and toothpaste in the bristles of the brush.
Alternatively, you can sanitize your brush by soaking it in mouthwash for about 15 minutes. It doesn’t change the harm done by the toothbrush, because the bacteria don’t affect your mouth anyway, but it is a good precaution to take. Remember not to leave your brush in the mouthwash for too long. Don’t, under any circumstances, reuse that mouthwash.

Don’t Clean it in Weird Ways

Some people have rather strange ideas about how to clean their brushes. They use extreme methods like putting their brush in the dishwasher or the microwave to clean it out. This is an awful idea. Additional bacteria in your dishwasher could actively harm your mouth because of this, not to mention the chemicals in soapy water. If you buy an UV cleaner for your brush, refrain from using it too often. All these methods could physically damage your brush and reduce its effectiveness. The easiest way is to rinse thoroughly with warm water and let it dry in the air.