It is important that you continue to brush your teeth even when you are sick. Unfortunately, this can lead to an accumulation of cold and flu bacteria on your toothbrush, so every time that you brush, you could be re-infecting yourself.
Additionally, if you keep your toothbrush close to someone else’s brush, you could even get your loved one sick. When taking all of these factors into consideration, it is important to properly disinfect your toothbrush during cold and flu season.
Disinfecting Your Brush
Your toothbrush is a fertile breeding ground for a variety of bacteria and virus strains, including those that cause the flu and the common cold. For this reason, it is has been recommended by the National Dental Association that your clean your brush thoroughly at least once per week. To do this, soak your brush in an antibacterial mouthwash, and be sure to rinse it properly before you use it again.
You can also boil your toothbrush for a few minutes, and while this could be hard on the brush, boiling water will kill off most germs.
There are a few other tips you can try to disinfect your brush. Keep it in a cup of hydrogen peroxide for everyday cleaning, and when you brush, change out the peroxide. You could also consider placing your brush into the silverware compartment of your dishwasher, running it on a hot cycle without soap, or you could invest in a UV toothbrush sanitizer.
Remember that millions of bacteria live in your mouth, so cleaning your toothbrush regularly makes sense if you are hoping to prevent illness. In addition to your regular brush cleanings, you should also be sure to replace your brush entirely every three months.
If it has been awhile since you’ve been to the dentist, please contact us to make an appointment – you’ll get a new toothbrush to take home!
