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Many fans of the
television series “Seinfeld” may remember the episode in which Jerry
accidentally knocks his girlfriend’s toothbrush into the toilet, fishes it
out, neglects to tell her where it has fallen, and then refuses to kiss her
after she uses the toothbrush. While this episode, like most “Seinfeld” episodes, involved a mishap taken to its extreme, the show did raise an
interesting question: How do you clean your toothbrush? First, let me begin
by stating that if your toothbrush does fall into the toilet, invest in a
new toothbrush. Secondly, I advise all patients to change their toothbrush
every three months at the very least. All too often, however, we forget
that toothbrushes should be cleaned on a daily basis. After all, we do not
use the same eating utensils day after day, and only rinse them after each
use. Why, then, do we only rinse our toothbrush after brushing our teeth?
Toothbrushes should be
cleaned after each use just as dental instruments in the office are cleaned
after each use. Simply put, rinsing a toothbrush will not clean the toothbrush.
The most prevalent recommended method for cleaning a toothbrush is a
sanitizer that comes with an ultraviolet light to decontaminate your
toothbrush. The next common cleaning method is soaking a toothbrush in
Listerine or bleach diluted with water for at least 20 minutes. However,
neither of these methods is considered practical or desirable. For
instance, I consider myself extremely infection control conscious, yet I
can assure you that I do not keep a sanitizer at home to clean my
toothbrush. While bleach diluted with water is effective, most people do
not like the thought of putting a bleach soaked toothbrush in their mouths.
Others complain that the soaking method, even in Listerine, requires too
much thought and effort to maintain on a regular basis. How, then, to best
clean your toothbrush and keep it simple?
I recently stumbled
upon an article in the Journal of the American Dental Association that
answered this question. A study was conducted to find the most effective
method of cleaning a toothbrush in the home. The study also sought to find
an uncomplicated cleaning method that individuals could incorporate into
their daily routine. The first method the study examined was rinsing which
was also the worst method. As mentioned above, rinsing will not clean a
toothbrush. The second method was boiling a toothbrush. Boiling resulted in
disinfections, but at the same time was damaging to the toothbrush itself.
Boiled toothbrushes became bent and warped very quickly. The last method
employed was cleaning toothbrushes in the dishwasher. The dishwasher was
the winner hands down. The dishwasher disinfected the toothbrush without
damage as occurred with boiling. The dishwasher was also preferred to hand
washing the toothbrush under hot water with soap, as the dishwasher can
sustain a high heat for a longer period of time than most individuals can
tolerate by hand washing.
The study recommended
that each family member have three or four toothbrushes with each
individual having an assigned color. After a toothbrush is used, it is
deposited in the dishwasher, and subsequently cleaned. Only clean
toothbrushes are then returned to the bathroom. One of the most interesting
findings of the study was that families utilizing this practice reported
fewer colds, and colds which did not linger. In this respect, the study
demonstrated additional health benefits from implementing infection control
procedures in the home.
In the end, however, I realize most people shake their heads at the idea of
color coordinating toothbrushes and putting their dirty toothbrush in the
dishwasher after each use. Even a procedure that is meant to be
uncomplicated still requires more effort than simply rinsing your
toothbrush. At the very least, consider throwing your toothbrush in the dishwasher
once a week. Disinfecting your toothbrush once in a while is still a better
option than only having a clean toothbrush when it is replaced every three
months.
As always, my staff
and myself are available to answer any questions you may have about
toothbrush cleaning or any other matter.
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