How Often Should I Replace My Toothbrush

posted in: General Dentistry | 0

 

It is well-understood that everyone changes their toothbrush within a period of time. However, do you know how frequently you should do that, or what is the recommended time for its change? Generally, we stop using everything such as food, medicines, or cosmetics that reach the expiry date. Amongst the things taken care of that are concerned with health and beauty, dental hygiene is the one that is often not paid much attention. However, there are some rules that one must follow as a daily dental hygiene regimen. One of them is taking care of changing your toothbrush on time.

 

 

Let us assume that you are following your oral care routine religiously. Brushing twice daily and flossing once daily. Still, what about the toothbrush that you are using to clean off the plaque and other debris from your tooth surface? Its long-term use is harmful because such particles accumulate on the brush surface and affect your health adversely. Therefore, changing the toothbrush on time is very important. American Dental Association (ADA) and most dentists suggest that one should change their toothbrush every three months.

 

 

 

 

*A manual toothbrush is meant to last only for about three months. It means you should have four toothbrushes for one year. For those who see their dentists every six months, they still need to change their brush once before their respective appointments.

 

*Some electric toothbrushes may have more durable bristles. For proper guidance, you need to check the label for recommendations. However, most of them may last as long as six months, and then they need to be replaced too. On the other hand, there are some cases where people have to change their toothbrush more often than every three months.

 

Such as:

1) those who brush very vigorously.

2) If one notices that the bristles have started to separate or lay flat.

3) After an illness. For example, if you have been diagnosed with gum disease, you should change your toothbrush more often. In such cases, to keep away from bacteria, it is best to change the toothbrush every six-day/week.

 

* If in case you cannot remember for how long you are using your toothbrush, particularly look at its condition and analyze if the bristles have worn out, fan-out, or frayed, or if you see any color changes (a sign of mold). If you see such signs, change it without any further delay.

 

Understand the harmful effects that bacterial and fungal accumulation can have on your health and teeth. An old toothbrush can damage your gums and can lead to gingivitis, which can further lead to infection and gradually to a tooth-fall. Also, you can become sick because of the improper storage and residual accumulation on the toothbrush.

 

Taking care of your toothbrush:

 

Improper can lead to the accumulation of bacteria and fungus in the bristles. Therefore, after use, one should make sure to properly rinse and store the brush in a clean and dry area. When traveling, it is essential to cover the toothbrush head as its protection from the spread of germs. Even when you are traveling and using a separate toothbrush, make it a habit to change that toothbrush every six months.

 

Things to be considered when buying your toothbrush:

 

Why replace toothbrush every 3 months, next time when you visit your dentist, ask for guidance on the type of toothbrush that will suit you according to your dental health.

Most dentists recommend toothbrushes with soft bristles, as hard ones damage teeth and gums. They suggest that the size of the head of a toothbrush should be such that it can touch one or two teeth at one time. You can consider investing in an electric toothbrush because it has proven the effects of improvement on oral health.

In a nutshell, do your research, visit and ask your dentist, and choose the product that suits your dental need. And remember, replace your toothbrush after every three months as recommended by most dentists and ADA.