Are You Replacing Your Toothbrush Enough?

Your toothbrush is great for removing bacteria but when you rinse it off, does it all go away?
The answer is no. Some bacteria can still be left on the brush and it’s for this reason your toothbrush needs to be replaced several times a year. It is suggested that your replace your toothbrush every three months.
Maybe you don’t keep track of time well. An indicator that it’s time to replace your toothbrush is when the bristles become fanned out. At that point it is not cleaning your teeth properly.

Jeffery Sulitzer, DMD, chief clinical officer at SmileDirectClub says, “The best way to have your toothbrush last as long as possible is to keep it clean and dry,” he said. Try any one of these methods to sanitize it:

• Soak the head of your toothbrush in mouthwash. Allow the brush to sit for at least four hours before taking it out. Rinse the brush thoroughly once you remove it.
• Use white distilled vinegar and water and soak the toothbrush head in that mixture for up to eight hours. “A lot of my patients will do this and soak their brush overnight,” Dr. Sulitzer said.
• Gently stir the toothbrush in boiling water. This takes only about 10 minutes to fully sanitize it

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