How Often Should You Replace Your Toothbrush?

Everyone knows that oral hygiene is essential to achieve better dental health.

To prevent different types of dental problems and gum diseases we need to brush and floss our teeth at least twice a day.

However, there is something that sometimes people forget: a toothbrush needs to be replaced every three months.

The replacement is crucial to take care of our mouth.

Maybe you don’t always realize that our oral health is connected to our overall health.

Let’s say that someone has poor oral hygiene, this can cause bad breath, but also it will cause problems like cavities.

Plus, all this has a link with the rest of our body which can detonate multiple health conditions from colds to heart diseases.

So, it is imperative to keep our mouth clean and healthy in order to prevent other types of health risks in the rest of our body.

Of course there are a lot of factors that can create health problems.

We can avoid all of them, but we can do a lot of things to prevent as much as we can.

One thing we can do for sure is to keep brushing teeth thoroughly and also flossing, at least twice a day during at least two full minutes.

This will help to reduce tartar and dental plaque, although we need to go to a dentist to eradicate it, we can keep the levels low by brushing.

Now, according to the ADA (American Dental Association), we need to replace our toothbrush every three months or as sooner as the bristles start to get useless.

Plus, replacing a toothbrush after you were sick will be also a wise decision.

You can develop the habit of changing the toothbrush after you have had flu, mouth sores, a cold, etc.

Frayed Bristles: An Old Toothbrush is not Effective

Patients sometimes believe that if they brush hard, they are going to get rid of bacteria in a better way.

The thing is that you will harm your teeth and gums by doing this.

It is not the strength you use while brushing; it is the way you do it.

You need to brush gently and in circular movements.

Otherwise, you are going to damage your toothbrush very soon.

And when a toothbrush becomes frayed and unleveled, it will be less effective.

When a toothbrush is frayed, it will lose the ability to remove food particles.

A toothbrush will become frayed anyway with the pass of the time.

That is why you will need to replace it in the next three or four in the coming months.

If the bristles are not the same that at first; that toothbrush won’t be able to remove plaque correctly anymore.

A brand new toothbrush will be able to provide better brushing that an old one, that is a fact.

Remember that you can reduce tartar by brushing.

If you minimize tartar before it hardens to create calculus, you will have fewer chances of getting gingivitis.

Old Toothbrush Keeps Bacteria

Fungal and harmful bacteria can grow in your toothbrush.

Another good reason to change toothbrushes is that after three or four months of use, microorganisms will be increasing.

An old toothbrush can keep harmful bacteria after use.

So, the advice here is to keep our brush in a safe place.

Meaning is that since most people keep the dental brush in the bathroom, it needs to be a dry and clean spot.

However, it doesn’t matter how clean that spot is, bacteria will eventually grow in the toothbrush.

So, to avoid adverse health effects, it will be crucial to replace the toothbrush after the recommended period.

Not changing your toothbrush can cause bad breath too.

That fungal microorganism can create an awful environment in your toothbrush.

The brush that you eventually will put inside your mouth.

That is why it is super important to replace your old toothbrush.

Oral Hygiene and Toothbrush to Go!

The best way to keep your toothbrush safe to the last longer is to protect it.

How can you do it? Using a toothbrush case to carry it to work or when you need to make a trip out of the city.

This is probably not a great reason, but some people use the same toothbrush when they are at home and when they are traveling.

It is essential to keep your teeth clean while you are out of town but, buy two different ones.

Having one at home and another different to go will increase the lasting.

Even if the brush is not going to last more than three or four months, the advice is to have two.

Plus, having two will reduce chances for your brush to get harmful bacteria.

Remember, if you were sick you need to Replace it!

This is an essential tip.

You know, to keep proper oral hygiene.

As mentioned before, some people don’t realize that after being sick, using the same toothbrush will increase the chances of getting sick again.

The thing is that the infection won’t go away from the bristles, which is why you will need to change it.

Even if you just buy it, the best idea will be to get a different one.

Don’t try to wash your toothbrush to eliminate the virus.

The best option after being sick is to replace your toothbrush.

A lot of people don’t believe it.

But it is not for you to believe.

It is a fact that bacteria are going to live in your toothbrush, making you sick again.