Dental Hygiene
Storing and Cleaning Your Toothbrush
A lot of people know the benefits and downfalls of different types of toothbrushes, as well as price tags and general use of each. The more electric toothbrushes are brought into the mainstream, the more people understand their functional differences compared to standard manual toothbrushes. And while studies do show that electric toothbrushes are better at cleaning your teeth and getting to hard to reach areas that manual brushing cannot, both are still great options and you should choose what feels comfortable for you and what fits your budget.
On the other hand, manual brushes are far more portable and don’t require any sort of charging, and they have the added benefit of being noiseless compared to anything that may be electric. The other thing to consider is you have all the control on how hard you brush or how soft you brush. Electric, on the other hand, have built in sensors that can tell you you haven’t brushed long enough or you’re brushing too hard on your teeth.
These differences may sway you one way or another. But it’s important to know how to take care of your brushes, since maintaining your toothbrushes may differ depending on which style you have. Nonetheless, there are a lot of rules that stay the same between the two, and we’ve compiled those for your convenience.
Store your brushes outside of containers
A lot of people may think that putting their toothbrush or electric brush heads in a container is good to keep it away from germs in the bathroom, but this actually is the quickest way to allow bacteria to build up in your toothbrush’s bristles as it can’t dry well enough and the condensation stays in the container. Mold can also take hold if you’re not careful.
Swap out brushes and brush heads every 3 months
A useful tip here is to buy 4 brushes yearly and you’ll never forget to change them. If you’re just riding solo with the one,you can forget how much time has passed since your last change in brushes (and it’s never a priority to make a trip to the store for just one toothbrush). So stock up and you’ll be much more likely to remember to switch them out when it’s time.
Wash and rinse well
No matter if you’ve chosen manual or electric toothbrushes as your favorite, you need to make sure your toothbrush is kept clean when not in use. Be certain to wash the brush clean of any toothpaste and food particles that it may have accumulated after use. The best way to store it so that it dries properly is standing upright: this allows the bristles to dry properly and stay free from bacteria!