You eat well, you brush and floss every day, and you want to know what else you can do to help your smile. Something to ask yourself is how well are you taking care of your toothbrush? Are you letting it be as effective as it can be?
To keep your toothbrush working effectively, you need to keep it from getting contaminated, store it properly, and replace it as needed.
A toothbrush can easily become contaminated. Never use your toothbrush for anything other than brushing your own teeth, including cleaning or sharing with someone else. Never share your toothbrush with anyone else! This can be very detrimental to your oral health, as it spreads bacteria, food particles, infections, diseases and can cause a plethora of other oral problems. If your toothbrush has been contaminated, throw it away and get a new one.
To further prevent contamination, it is important to store your toothbrush properly. Store it only in open-air spaces, as closed-off spaces promote bacterial growth. Store your toothbrush away from other toothbrushes. If you have to store them together, make sure the heads of the toothbrushes don’t touch. This spreads bacteria between brush heads, which then end up in your mouth. This is, in a word, gross. Be sure to store your toothbrush in open air away from other brushes.
Third, replace your brush often. Toothbrushes last only three to four months. This means you can get a new toothbrush for every season of the year! Take the opportunity to pamper yourself. There are a variety of styles and colors available, even in adult sizes. Be sure to grab a toothbrush with the ADA Seal of Acceptance. This seal guarantees a great product that will help to protect your smile.
Finally, support your toothbrush and all the work it does by scheduling regular dental appointments! If you are in the Beaver, Pennsylvania area, call Pamela Crumrine DDS at 724-775-4860 to set your appointment. A beautiful smile truly is the ultimate accessory!
