Good oral hygiene is the primary preventive measure against a number of dental diseases. It is important to note, however, that prevention would not be possible, nor successful, without the diligent care for one of the main cleaning tools – the toothbrush.
Here are some guidelines for maintaining the hygiene tool in excellent shape:
After brushing your teeth you should rinse the toothbrush, tousling carefully its hairs under running water to remove all traces of toothpaste and food. The cleaned brush must be left straight and uncovered until it dries completely.
It is advisable to keep your brush in a special rubber stand, which provides good air circulation and does not hold water. If you use a plain one, you would need to wash it regularly to prevent the appearance of mold on the handle of the brush.
It is mandatory to pack your toothbrush diligently when you prepare for traveling. This will protect it from dirt and from bending its fiber once you put it among the rest of your luggage.
It is essential also to wash your teeth properly (holding the brush at an angle of 45 degrees and making rotary / sweeping movements with moderate force). In addition to ensuring more efficient and safer cleaning, the correct technique prevents premature deformation of the bundles of the toothbrush.
An innovative and effective way to prevent transfer of bacteria from the previous wash back into your oral cavity is the use of an antibacterial toothbrush. It “cleans itself” after use, thanks to its silver ions that kill bacteria in the fibers of the brush.
Your toothbrush must go through full cleaning periodically. Boiling has an excellent bactericidal action, but should be used only if you are sure that the materials the toothbrush is made of are resistant to high temperature. Putting it in the freezing compartment leads only to hibernation of the microorganisms, so most suitable are soaking in antibacterial mouthwash and the use of quality UV / ultrasonic sterilizer. Despite all these additional cleaning techniques, the toothbrush should be replaced every three months and after each cold.
It is important to always wash your hands before you get to the hygiene of your teeth, as well.
You should not forget that the toothbrush is a product designed for personal hygiene. You must never share it with anyone, nor store it near brushes used by others.
Like any physical property, the toothbrush has a limited “life span” that lasts no more than three months (depending on the quality of the brush itself, the frequency of use and your care) and requires periodic replacement. Of course, you should not be guided strictly by this conditional period, but replace your brush with a new one as soon as visible signs of wearing out appear (deformation of hairs). The change is necessary after every case of cold / flu or inflammation in the oral cavity, as there is a risk of re-infecting.
