It’s a little known fact that your mouth holds more bacteria than anywhere else on your body.
How can you keep your toothbrush germ free?
The quickest and easiest thing to do would be disinfect your toothbrush. You can buy products that you store your toothbrush in to help disinfect it, or you can do it yourself with some isopropyl alcohol. Make sure you let your toothbrush completely air dry before the next use. The best thing to do is to purchase/use two toothbrushes, so you can swap out one while the other refreshes and becomes germ free.
Simply washing your hands thoroughly, with soap and warm water, beore and after brushing should do the trick to stop any germs spreading from your hands to your brush to your mouth.
After you brush, make sure to rinse your toothbrush with warm water and air dry it in an upright position.
Avoid keeping your toothbrush in a closed container or small space, unless it is completely dry. Bacteria loves to grow in moist warm places. If you use a toothbrush cap, which some toothbrushes come with, you might want to stop using it, as it can encourage the spread of bacteria.
Store your toothbrushes separately from the rest of your family! If your toothbrushes are close, germs can easily spread from one to the other.
Your brush should be replaced every 3 – 4 months; if you have an electric toothbrush, you should be able to buy new heads for it from the same store or online.
Make sure to replace your toothbrush after you’ve had a cold! The last thing you want after recovery is your cold coming back – cold germs can linger on the bristles for days.
If you have any questions, contact your dentist.