A toothbrush is crucial for proper dental hygiene. After all, your toothbrush helps you take care of your teeth by removing harmful bacteria, and cavity-causing plaque. But did you know that your toothbrush needs proper care too? Maintaining your toothbrush helps maximize its ability to remove bacteria and prevent further bacteria from entering your mouth. Here’s how. ?
Rinse
After you finish brushing your teeth, be sure to rinse your toothbrush thoroughly under warm water. This helps remove any remaining bacteria, toothpaste or plaque buildup from the bristles of your toothbrush. Warm water is especially helpful as it loosens up the bristles to remove even more debris.
Replace
When is the last time you replaced your toothbrush? Even with normal use, toothbrush bristles get bent and frayed over time. When this happens, they are significantly less effective at removing plaque and cleaning your teeth. Because of this, the American Dental Association recommends replacing your toothbrush every 3-4 months. However, if you are to get sick, you should replace your toothbrush even before the 3-4 months to prevent any illness-causing bacteria to build up on your toothbrush and reinfect you later down the line as well.
Brushing
Has your dentist ever told you that you are a ‘hard brusher?’ When you brush your teeth, how hard you press down with the toothbrush matters! Brushing harder doesn’t mean a cleaner mouth, in fact, brushing harder can cause more dental problems in the future. It also does a number on the bristles of your toothbrush, once again preventing them from cleaning as well.
Storing
How you store your toothbrush matters! After you’ve finished brushing your teeth, be sure to take your toothbrush and store it upright. This will allow your toothbrush to air dry properly. Make sure to leave the bristles uncovered as well — a cap can actually cause moisture to linger which bacteria needs to thrive.
