Your toothbrush is likely used every day to clean the plaque and germs off your tongue and teeth. Your mouth will be clean after a thorough cleansing, your toothbrush now carries the residue and germs from your mouth.
Your toothbrush may also be stored in the bathroom where bacteria can linger throughout the air. This article will discuss ways to disinfect your toothbrush to ensure it's clean and safe to use every time.
How do you clean your toothbrush?
There are many ways of disinfecting your toothbrush between uses. Certain methods are Learn More effective than others.
After each use, and before you wash it make sure to run hot water over it
The most common method of sanitizing your toothbrush is to apply hot water to bristles prior and after every use.
This eliminates bacteria that could have been accumulated on the toothbrush during the hours between brushings. It also eliminates new bacteria that may be accumulating after each brushing.
For most people, clean hot water is sufficient to clean a toothbrush between uses.
Before applying toothpaste, pour hot water gently over the top of your toothbrush. Make sure that the water is hot enough to steam.
After you've brushed your teeth and thoroughly cleaned your mouth, rinse your brush with additional hot water.
Make sure you rinse it with antibacterial mouthwash
If a warm water rinse isn't enough to give you peace of mind, you can make a bath with antibacterial mouthwash.
Remember that this could cause wear on your toothbrush more quickly, since these mouthwashes are typically made up of harmful ingredients that cause bristles to break down.
After each time you brush, let your toothbrush rest in a small bowl of mouthwash for approximately 2 minutes.
Should you boil your toothbrushes?
To keep your toothbrush clean it is not necessary boil it. But the plastic handle that comes of most toothbrushes melts when heated.
You can still heat water to boil by heating it up in a tea kettle, or over the stove. Switch off the heat after it's boiled, and take your toothbrush and dip it in the water for approximately 30 seconds.
Denture cleanser
To disinfect your toothbrush you can also use hot water and mouthwash.
Denture cleanser is comprised of antimicrobial ingredients that target plaque and bacteria that build up inside your mouth.
Reuse denture cleaners you have previously used.
To make your toothbrush extra sparkling, dissolve half the tablet for cleansing in a cup of water. Your toothbrush should be submerged in the solution for about 90 seconds.
UV toothbrush sanitizer
An ultraviolet light Sanitizer (UV) product that is specifically designed to be used with toothbrushes can be bought.
A study that compared the UV light chambers of toothbrushes with saline and chlorhexidine-gluconate solutions showed that UV light is more efficient at cleaning toothbrushes.
The equipment may be costly but it's not required to have one for safe brushing. Follow the manufacturer's directions for any UV sanitizer you purchase.
How do you clean the electric toothbrush head
In the majority of cases it is possible to clean the head of an electric toothbrush in the same way that you would disinfect a normal toothbrush.
Before using toothpaste or warm water make sure that the toothbrush head is unplugged from the electric base.
If your toothbrush is one that does not detach from the base, just make use of warm water or a brief rinse, then put it away in a clean, dry place.
Use a tooth paste dispenser
When you apply toothpaste to your toothbrush, there's always an opportunity that your toothbrush and toothpaste tube could come in contact and transfer bacteria. There is a possibility of using a toothpaste pump dispenser to reduce this risk of cross contamination.
Your toothbrush may also be stored in the bathroom where bacteria can linger throughout the air. This article will discuss ways to disinfect your toothbrush to ensure it's clean and safe to use every time.
How do you clean your toothbrush?
There are many ways of disinfecting your toothbrush between uses. Certain methods are Learn More effective than others.
After each use, and before you wash it make sure to run hot water over it
The most common method of sanitizing your toothbrush is to apply hot water to bristles prior and after every use.
This eliminates bacteria that could have been accumulated on the toothbrush during the hours between brushings. It also eliminates new bacteria that may be accumulating after each brushing.
For most people, clean hot water is sufficient to clean a toothbrush between uses.
Before applying toothpaste, pour hot water gently over the top of your toothbrush. Make sure that the water is hot enough to steam.
After you've brushed your teeth and thoroughly cleaned your mouth, rinse your brush with additional hot water.
Make sure you rinse it with antibacterial mouthwash
If a warm water rinse isn't enough to give you peace of mind, you can make a bath with antibacterial mouthwash.
Remember that this could cause wear on your toothbrush more quickly, since these mouthwashes are typically made up of harmful ingredients that cause bristles to break down.
After each time you brush, let your toothbrush rest in a small bowl of mouthwash for approximately 2 minutes.
Should you boil your toothbrushes?
To keep your toothbrush clean it is not necessary boil it. But the plastic handle that comes of most toothbrushes melts when heated.
You can still heat water to boil by heating it up in a tea kettle, or over the stove. Switch off the heat after it's boiled, and take your toothbrush and dip it in the water for approximately 30 seconds.
Denture cleanser
To disinfect your toothbrush you can also use hot water and mouthwash.
Denture cleanser is comprised of antimicrobial ingredients that target plaque and bacteria that build up inside your mouth.
Reuse denture cleaners you have previously used.
To make your toothbrush extra sparkling, dissolve half the tablet for cleansing in a cup of water. Your toothbrush should be submerged in the solution for about 90 seconds.
UV toothbrush sanitizer
An ultraviolet light Sanitizer (UV) product that is specifically designed to be used with toothbrushes can be bought.
A study that compared the UV light chambers of toothbrushes with saline and chlorhexidine-gluconate solutions showed that UV light is more efficient at cleaning toothbrushes.
The equipment may be costly but it's not required to have one for safe brushing. Follow the manufacturer's directions for any UV sanitizer you purchase.
How do you clean the electric toothbrush head
In the majority of cases it is possible to clean the head of an electric toothbrush in the same way that you would disinfect a normal toothbrush.
Before using toothpaste or warm water make sure that the toothbrush head is unplugged from the electric base.
If your toothbrush is one that does not detach from the base, just make use of warm water or a brief rinse, then put it away in a clean, dry place.
Use a tooth paste dispenser
When you apply toothpaste to your toothbrush, there's always an opportunity that your toothbrush and toothpaste tube could come in contact and transfer bacteria. There is a possibility of using a toothpaste pump dispenser to reduce this risk of cross contamination.