test

How to clean your toothbrush

April 11, 2017 8:48 pm Published by

how to clean your toothbrushMost people put great emphasis on using effective toothpaste and mouthwash but never give much thought to the toothbrush they use. Unknown to this lot, if the toothbrush isn’t clean, it forms a breeding place for bacteria and a possible build up of food particles and mold, which consequently compromises the general oral hygiene. As such, you shouldn’t be satisfied with brushing your teeth and then simply running water through your toothbrush. The best practice is to properly clean your toothbrush to get rid of any bacteria that may stick around. Here’s how to clean your toothbrush:

Below are some of the tips you can employ for a clean toothbrush, devoid of bacterial organisms. Some of these tips can be used together for the best results;

  1. After brushing your teeth, run clean water on your toothbrush and use your thumb back and forth on the toothbrush head to remove any food particles that may be stuck therein. Do this until you’re satisfied that it’s clean.

  2. Boil the toothbrush in water for a few minutes, usually 2-3 minutes. This should be done on a daily basis to ensure that any pathogenic organisms that maybe be stuck in the toothbrush are destroyed. It also helps to loosen and remove food particles that are likely to stick on the toothbrush during brushing.

  3. Before using your toothbrush, soak it in an antibacterial mouthwash for about 2-3 minutes. By so doing, any bacteria that may have found their way onto your toothbrush are completely gotten rid of.

  4. To avoid exposing your toothbrush to bacteria, you can have it dipped in a cup of hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide should be changed after every brushing session to ensure that it continuously remains clean.

  5. Another effective approach embraced by many is the use of an UV toothbrush head sanitizer. The sanitizer helps kill bacteria. Besides using UV toothbrush sanitizer, soaking your toothbrush in Listerine has also been confirmed to be an effective way of keeping bacteria at bay.

Although there is no clear-cut research finding that proves that those who don’t clean their toothbrushes thoroughly are at a risk of reintroducing bacteria into their mouths, it’s widely held by professionals that the use of an unclean toothbrush greatly compromises oral health. Apart from the risk associated with the use of a dirty toothbrush, the thought of brushing your teeth with a brush that may contain food particles or some other foreign substances is just gross.

Even with thorough cleaning, however, you shouldn’t forget to replace your toothbrush at least after every three months. Let others know these few tips on how to clean your toothbrush!

Categorised in:

This post was written by joe