Prioritise Your Toothbrush Hygiene Today
Easy to forget but keep that humble toothbrush in tip-top condition!
Here at Abbey Road Dental we care about all aspects of dentistry – general and cosmetic treatments are both prioritised and important to us here.
However, at our core, we are a family dentist so general dentistry is right at the heart of what we do. We want you to feel completely on top of your dental care, from your visits to our NW8 clinic, to your daily dental hygiene regime at home. Part of our care to you, is providing a lot of information to help you make the best choices for your oral hygiene and health.
Whilst you may thing this only involves your teeth, gums and mouth, it actually also involves a lot of the items we put into our mouths. If you think about it, eating a lot of sugar damages your teeth so we would advise you to reduce your sugar intake. Using the wrong toothbrush can lead to gum damage and teeth not being cleaned properly. Which leads us nicely to toothbrush hygiene. We know from our own research this is absolutely something people rarely consider. It makes sense really, you focus so much on brushing regularly and correctly and using the right products in your mouth, once you have put the brush down, there’s nothing to think about right? Wrong!
Caring for your toothbrush – the basics
Brushes can keep hold of nasty tiny organisms that could cause infection, or promote negative health effects. Your mouth holds tons of germs and microorganisms, so it makes sense some would move onto your toothbrush when you use it. Germs and nasty organisms can also live where your toothbrush is stored. They might even have some germs on them when you get them out of the box – they won’t have necessarily been sterilised, but don’t worry, of course they will be fine to use.
As you can see, your oral hygiene doesn’t just stop at brushing your teeth. For the best oral health and general health, we recommend the following guidelines for toothbrush care:
Don’t Share! – Sharing a toothbrush is not recommended and means you will be sharing all kinds of nasties with the other person using the brush. This puts you both at a higher risk of infection. With this in mind, it is also important to ensure toothbrushes are not touching if they are kept in the same pot or container.
Rinse – Rinse your toothbrushes with water thoroughly after brushing to get rid of remaining paste and any debris.
Handle Down – Keep brushes handle down so they are not sitting in moisture, this will only promote the growth of bacteria.
Replace – Make sure you replace your toothbrush regularly. If the bristles start to splay or spread, it is time to replace the brush. If they don’t, simply replace the brush every few months.
Visit Abbey Road Dental in St John’s Wood For More Advice
If you want more advice on caring for your toothbrush, please ask us about this at your next appointment at our NW8 clinic. Need to book in? Please call us on 02076241603 and we will be pleased to make your appointment.