Toothbrush Care: Cleaning, Storing and Replacement

Toothbrushing plays an important everyday role for personal oral hygiene and effective plaque removal. Appropriate toothbrush care and maintenance are also important considerations for sound oral hygiene. The ADA recommends that consumers replace toothbrushes approximately every 3–4 months or sooner if the bristles become frayed with use.

Here are some reasons why you should change your toothbrush:

  • After around three months of usage, the toothbrush comes to the end of its life and gets to a point where it is no longer as effective for cleaning around the tooth surfaces and this also includes brush heads on electric toothbrushes.
  • Research shows that a new toothbrush can remove more plaque than one that is worn out.
  • As the bristles become worn they become more prone to bacterial or fungal growth.
  • Using a toothbrush more than three months might give you dental problems, halitosis or bad breath.
  • Worn out bristles can cause gum bleeding.

It is also advised to change your toothbrush after you had an infection such as flu, cold, mouth sores or a sore throat. If you get sick make sure that change your brush even if it’s not 3 months old yet, as bacteria can breed on those bristles.