How to Clean, Store and Care for Toothbrushes

Healthy & Safe Toothbrush - Oral and dental health is generally influenced by dental and oral hygiene. And to maintain oral and dental hygiene, brushing your teeth regularly is one of the right and effective ways. Oral and dental health experts recommend brushing your teeth after eating something or at least 2 times a day, in the morning and at night. According to ADA or American Dental Associaton, brushing teeth using a safe and healthy toothbrush plays an important role everyday for oral health and effective removal of plaque.

A safe and healthy toothbrush according to experts also includes proper toothbrush care and maintenance is also an important consideration for oral and dental health. ADA recommends that consumers replace toothbrushes every 3-4 months or faster if the bristles are worn or damaged. In recent years, experts and scientists especially dental and oral health have studied toothbrushes that can contain microorganisms that can cause infection.

The oral cavity is home to hundreds of types of microorganisms, so it is not surprising that microorganisms in the mouth can move both from the mouth to the toothbrush or vice versa, so it is very important to keep your toothbrush healthy and safe to use. So how to treat toothbrushes to be safe to use, following recommendations from ADA (American Dental Association) experts:

Don't share toothbrushes / Use them together
Using a toothbrush together or alternately will cause the exchange of body fluids and / or microorganisms between users of toothbrushes (transmission from one user to another), thereby increasing the risk of infection.

Rinse thoroughly after use
After the toothbrush is used, of course there is still a lot of plaque, dirt and toothpaste from the mouth left in the bristles. Rinse the toothbrush using clean water until it is completely clean after brushing to remove toothpaste, dirt, plaque left over and maybe the bacteria left behind in the brush.

Save the toothbrush properly after use
Store the brush in an upright position and place or dry container if possible and make sure the bristles are dry until used again. If more than one brush is stored in the same container, the toothbrush bulkhead (do not touch) can also use a toothbrush headgear to prevent cross contamination. Do not store a toothbrush with a closed container because it can cause moisture. Humidity (air that cannot move freely) is a fertile place for growth media for bacteria and microorganisms.

Routinely changing toothbrushes
Change toothbrush at least once every 3-4 months or it can be far before that if you find that the bristles are damaged. Damaged or worn bristles not only reduce the power or effectiveness of cleaning teeth and mouth but also damaged bristles can injure the gums or other oral cavities. Children's toothbrushes often have to be replaced more often than adult toothbrushes because toothbrushes in children are more vulnerable to wear and damage. Changing your toothbrush more often than every 3-4 months can reduce the number of bacteria that might infect your toothbrush.

If possible, soak a toothbrush in a mouthwash
Rinsing with an antibacterial mouthwash before brushing can prevent or reduce how quickly bacteria build up on a toothbrush. Soaking a toothbrush in an antibacterial mouthwash after use has also been studied and can reduce the level of bacteria that grows on toothbrushes.