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 develop 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.

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.

When to Toss Your Toothbrush
The best way to limit the bacteria on your toothbrush is to replace it on a regular basis.
The American Dental Association recommends throwing out your toothbrush every three to four months. If the bristles become frayed, you're sick, or you have a weak immune system, throw it out even more often. If you use an electric toothbrush, throw out the head as often as you'd discard a disposable toothbrush.

Wish you goodluck with a little patience on the toothbrush

http://www.medicinenet.com/truth_about_your_toothbrush_pictures_slideshow/article.htm

Nice one @op. I do dispose my toothbrush often shaa. But just learned from ur post on d upside down thingy. Thanx

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Good! But show us ur toothbrush and ur teeth lets confirm this

Thanks i hear u

Say no to toothbrush

The only thing I haven't been doing out of that list is, replacing my tooth brushes frequently. Gonna improve on that. Thanks OP.

Its okay

Okay.

Nigerian Dental Association hasn't said so; So I don't believe you.

Dats y ℓ̊ dey alwayz like PAKO(chewing stick)

okay

If all these facts they uncover on per second billing don't kill humans nothing will trust me.

vry educative

Thanks for dis wonderful post but I guess it's time for me to switch over to chewing stick, or do chewing stick also accumulate bacteria?

venorite: Say no to toothbrush

USE CHEWING STICK INSTEAD

Oh I see... Thank you sha...

chewing stick is the best,na oyibo spoil african mentality,sha everyweek i soak my toothbrush in warm water and i use mouthwash daily.

Always brush your teeth with dettol. It kills germs

chei: Always brush your teeth with dettol. It kills germs

exactly,cos if i dont take kia of u,who wil

My lecturer in the university once told me that human bite is worse than dog's bite. Humans harbours millions of pathogenic bacteria in their mouth.

demmy55: 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.

..but you are at least, still allowed to kiss your spouse or significant other mouth to mouth or we should only be doing light pecking on the cheek now?

And your spouse should be carrying anti bacterial disinfecting wipes all the time to immediately wipe out the peck from his/her cheek for fear of the bacterial spreading or getting into his/her skin through some small openings or cut.

Okay now, let us now be using PETROL and CLOSE UP to wash our teeth. Petrol dey work well all those JOHN and JANE wey dey inside our corner teeth go flush comot outside.

C hw pple de waste money 4 toothbrush n paste, wen u can buy bundles of chewin stick n powdered charcoal. E go b lyk say u use hypo 4 ur teeth. lol

OCTAVO: Order for your toothbrush today.
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una no well for dis Nl (lol)

Message to Mukina
#Free Abu Mikey

Where is this chewing stick oo

My grandma gave me but I dropped it some where

Its time to use the two

After chewing stick then its brush

Or the other way round

Noted!