How often should you change your toothbrush? Scientist finally settles the debate - so, are you doing it enough?
It's an item found in bathrooms around the world. But just how often should you be changing your toothbrush? Users are divided on Reddit, with answers ranging from once a month to 'whenever it clearly looks worn down'. Now, Dr Primrose Freestone, Associate Professor in Clinical Microbiology at the University of Leicester, has settled the debate once and for all. According to the expert, you should change your toothbrush every three months – unless you have a mouth or gum infection. Speaking to the Daily Mail, she explained: 'For a new toothbrush, you should change it every 3 months. However, if you have a mouth or gum infection, you need to change the toothbrush more often to avoid reinfecting yourself.'Where people tend to go wrong is not how often they change their toothbrush, but how they clean and store it between uses, according to Dr Freestone. 'Food debris left from brushing the teeth can support the growth of bacteria and fungi,' she added.'Your mouth has over 500 species of bacteria and fungi and some of these end up on your toothbrush each time you clean your teeth, so toothbrush cleaning is essential.' It's an item found in bathrooms around the world. But just how often should you be changing your toothbrush?The toothbrush debate has swirled on Reddit for years, with many agreeing with Dr Freestone's advice. 'I replace my toothbrush whenever it clearly looks worn down, which usually is around the three month mark if not sooner,' one user wrote. Another said: 'For me, it's more than just wear, I'm worried about bacteria build up. I replace them roughly every three months.'And one wrote: 'I replace my toothbrush head when the bristles are frayed and not as effective, which is usually around 3 months or so.'However, others are convinced that their toothbrush is fine to use for an entire year. 'The recommended time is 3 months but my brush still looks good after that time. In fact, it still looks good after one year,' one user said. Dr Freestone agrees with the NHS's advice to change out your toothbrush every three months. However, the microbiologist says that most people don't look after their toothbrush properly between uses. 'You should wash your toothbrush after use under the hot water tap for at least 30 seconds to wash off toothpaste, bacteria or food residue that might be left from brushing,' Dr Freestone explained. 'More stringent toothbrush cleaning can be via a short 30min soaking in baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, antibacterial mouth wash or 1 min in hot steam from a kettle.'While this is probably more than you're doing at the moment, Dr Freestone says she even goes a step further with her own toothbrush. 'Being a microbiologist I also shampoo my toothbrush every week in antibacterial hand wash, which removes both food debris and kills off any microbes the hot tap wash did not deal with,' she added.'I also make sure my toothbrush is not adjacent to the toilet as the toilet flush spray could contaminate a toothbrush with faecal bacteria.' How to use an electric toothbrushPlace toothpaste on the brush head Hold the brush at a 45° angleTurn on the electric brush and move it from tooth–to–toothGuide the brush along the front, back and chewing surfaces of each toothHold the brush over each surface of every tooth for several seconds Do not apply too much pressure or scrub. Just guide the brush over each tooth Continue for around two minutes to ensure each tooth is clean When finished, rinse the brush head with water and allow it to drySource: Oral–B
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How often should you change your toothbrush? Scientist finally settles the debate - so, are you doing it enough?
