Be Aware of the Germs and Bacteria on your Toothbrush
If you share a bathroom with other people, you may need to watch out for your toothbrush. According to a study presented at this year’s meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, your chance for finding human feces on your toothbrush is roughly 60%.
Further, brushes stored in a room used by multiple people had an 80% chance of featuring waste coming from a person other than the brush’s user, which represents a greater health risk than contaminants that come strictly from yourself.
This contamination occurs when a toilet is flushed. Every flush sends up a barely perceptible spray of toilet water, which often contains particles of human waste. If your brush is stored openly near the toilet, this water can land upon the bristles and the tiny particles of waste can build up.
Ideally, you should store your brush in a container that covers or can close, but still exposed to air so that it can more easily dry out between brushing. Contact our Lynnwood dentist for further information on proper toothbrush maintenance.
