Do you know what's lurking on your toothbrush?
Your toothbrush is loaded with germs, say researchers at England's
University of Manchester. They've found that one uncovered toothbrush
can harbor more than 100 million bacteria, including E. coli bacteria, which can cause diarrhea, and staphylococci ("staph") bacteria that cause skin infections.
But don't panic. Your mouth wasn't exactly sterile to begin with.
Mouthful of Bacteria
"The bottom line is, there [are] hundreds of microorganisms in our
mouths every day," says Gayle McCombs, RDH, MS, associate professor and
director of the Dental Hygiene Research Center at Old Dominion
University.
That's no big deal. Problems only start when there is an unhealthy balance of bacteria in the mouth. McCombs says.
"It's important to remember that plaque -- the stuff you're removing
from your teeth -- is bacteria," says dentist Kimberly Harms, DDS,
consumer advisor for the American Dental Association. "So you're putting
bacteria on your toothbrush every time you brush your teeth."
Could Your Toothbrush Be Making You Sick?
Probably not. Regardless of how many bacteria live in your mouth, or
have gotten in there via your toothbrush, your body's natural defenses
make it highly unlikely that you're going to catch an infection simply
from brushing your teeth.
"Fortunately, the human body is usually able to defend itself from
bacteria," Harms says. "So we aren't aware of any real evidence that
sitting the toothbrush in your bathroom in the toothbrush holder is
causing any real damage or harm. We don't know that the bacteria on
there are translating into infections."
Still, you should exercise some common sense about storing your toothbrush, including how close it is to the toilet.
Don't Brush Where You Flush
Most bathrooms are small. And in many homes, the toilet is pretty close to the bathroom sink where you keep your toothbrush.
Every toilet flush sends a spray of bacteria into the air. And you
don't want the toilet spray anywhere near your open toothbrush.
"You don't store your plates and glasses by the toilet, so why would you
want to place your toothbrush there?" McCombs says. "It's just common
sense to store your toothbrush as far away from the toilet as possible."
You also wouldn't eat after going to the bathroom without first washing
your hands. The same advice applies before brushing your teeth, McCombs
says.
Toothbrush Storage Tips
Once you've moved your toothbrush away from the toilet, here are a few
other storage tips to keep your brush as germ-free as possible:
- Keep it rinsed. Wash off your toothbrush thoroughly with tap water every time you use it.
- Keep it dry. "Bacteria love a moist environment," Harms says. Make sure your brush has a chance to dry thoroughly between brushings. Avoid using toothbrush covers, which can create a moist enclosed breeding ground for bacteria.
- Keep it upright. Store your toothbrush upright in a holder, rather than lying it down.
- Keep it to yourself. No matter how close you are to your sister, brother, spouse, or roommate, don't ever use their toothbrush. Don't even store your toothbrush side-by-side in the same cup with other people's brushes. Whenever toothbrushes touch, they can swap germs.
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