Practicing proper oral hygiene takes account of looking after your toothbrush and replacing it when needed. The significance of keeping the toothbrush your kid places in his or her mouth every day fresh and clean can be straightforwardly ignored, as teaching children to brush their teeth appropriately might become the chief focus for parents. Paying attention to these details however is vital for dental health and parents should be particularly watchful of professional recommendations about toothbrush care and its replacement.

Toothbrush care

To keep children and their toothbrushes healthy, make certain that the toothbrush dries out between each use. Bacteria and other germs can flourish on surfaces like the head of a toothbrush, and over time, these bacteria can amass to notable levels. To inhibit this and keep your kid’s toothbrush as clean and germ-free as possible, shake the toothbrush fervently under the faucet water after brushing and then store it in an erect position in order for it to dry off as much as possible between uses. Purchasing a toothbrush holder with separate spots to hold several brushes is a good idea and a health increasing investment. To keep illnesses from spreading between family members, ensure that toothbrushes are stowed in a way that they will not touch each other. For those who are tremendously careful about germ control, toothbrushes can even be soaked in mouthwash, which can be used as an antiseptic every so often.

When to replace a toothbrush?

Toothbrushes do not last forever and in actual fact, must be replaced quite often to practice optimal oral hygiene and dental care. The American Dental Association recommends a toothbrush to be replaced every 3 months, having more to do with the abrasion to the bristles instead of the accumulation of bacteria and germs. After 3 months of deterioration to the bristles, the quantity of plaque able to be removed from the teeth and gums considerably declines and brushing becomes less powerful in retaining dental health. Eventually, as the bristles wear out over time, they are no longer able to reach and confiscate bacteria from the tough to reach places, like the bends and between the teeth. On the whole, kids’ toothbrushes normally need replacement more rapidly than adults’. Three months is a general recommendation, but for some folks, those who brush harder or with more strength for instance, toothbrushes might need replacement more recurrently. The dictating factor is not essentially time, but the contour of the bristles. Overall, it is suggested for parents to take note of how worn a kid’s toothbrush looks and as soon as the bristles begin spurting in diverse directions, the brush should be swapped with a new one. It is also a good idea to change a kid’s toothbrush after they have been sick with an ailment such as the flu, a cold virus, painful throat or any type of mouth infection. After using a toothbrush while sick, bacteria and germs relating to the illness can hide and flourish in the bristles of the brush, empowering the actual toothbrush to possibly re-infect the child and make him or her sick again.

Toothbrushes and traveling

When traveling, toothbrushes often become impaired or compressed in an individual’s travel kit or bag, as they get squashed up against other goods or items. To keep toothbrushes clean and the bristles from becoming smashed while traveling, it is a worthy idea to pack a toothbrush in a protective plastic toothbrush case. Make certain to let the toothbrush dry after brushing, however, before putting it back away in that case.

Tips for remembering to replace a toothbrush

Certain kinds of toothbrushes are made with bristles that change colors when they wear away, serving as an evident signal that the brush head has become less effective and it is time for a replacement. In general, a stress-free way to remember to replace a toothbrush is to get in the routine of purchasing a new brush every time the kid visits the dentist for their 6 month checkup/cleaning and then again half way between their last appointment and their subsequent.