Could Your Toothbrush Be Making You Sick?

Posted by Colleen Fanning on Sep 5, 2012 in frontpage | Comments Off on Could Your Toothbrush Be Making You Sick?

The short answer – your toothbrush is most likely not making you sick. However, it is possible that is could be. Toothbrushes have been found to harbor more than 100 million bacteria.  But don’t panic. Regardless of how many bacteria live in your mouth, or have gotten in there by brushing your teeth, your body’s natural defenses make it highly unlikely that you’re going to catch an infection simply from brushing your teeth.

There are hundreds of microorganisms in our mouths every day that cause no harm to your health. Problems only start when there is an unhealthy balance of bacteria in the mouth.

Still, you should exercise some common sense about storing your toothbrush, including how close it is to the toilet. Most bathrooms are small. And in many homes, the toilet is 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.

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. 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.