Your toothbrush can either be your best friend or your worst enemy. All too often we find ourselves on vacation with nary a toothbrush in sight, or curled up in a warm bed on a cold winter night only to realize that the aftertaste of dinner hasn’t been brushed away. But what secrets does your toothbrush hold that you don’t know about?
- All bristles are not the same. Toothbrushes range from soft to hard bristles, and if you feel like your teeth and gums aren’t getting healthier no matter how much you brush, you may be using the wrong type of toothbrush. Generally, most people don’t have to use hard-bristled brushes — especially for anyone with sensitive gums, hard bristles can just irritate the inflamed areas.
- Bacteria love toothbrushes. The whole point of your toothbrush is to clean bacteria off your teeth, so it makes sense that the head of your toothbrush is a prime hangout spot. But to make sure that the bacteria stays out of your mouth, it’s best to rinse your brush in hot water after each use and to keep it as dry as possible (’cause bacteria doesn’t just survive in water, it thrives). It’s also a good idea to store your brush in an upright position so that it dries faster.
- Keep that brush away from the flush. Some bathrooms, especially those in city apartments, are destined to be so small that it’s almost impossible for even one person to fit in. But you should really consider where you place your toothbrush in relation to the toilet. By that, we mean you should place it as far away as possible. Toilet flushes can send off a fine mist of bacteria and you just don’t want to “clean” your teeth with that.
Basically, every one of these points has to do with bacteria. But that’s the whole reason you go to your local dentist in the first place — to get rid of tricky plague and find new ways to prevent it. If you haven’t had a good teeth cleaning in a while, it’s important to find a good dentist who can fight that bacteria.
In 2010, only about 60% of all American adults made a dental visit. If you’re part of the other 40%, you may feel like repairing your teeth would take a force more powerful than your regular local dentist. Fortunately, there are many dental clinics where you can find a dentist who can offer various cosmetic dental procedures, from dental implants to peroxide-based whitening processes. These procedures fix the aesthetic quality of your health and improve the overall health of your mouth. So if you feel like your toothbrush has gotten the better of you, talk with a local dentist and see what you can do to fight back.
Learn more at this link.
