Even young children know how often to change a toothbrush. Dentists recommend doing this every 3 months. However, not everyone follows this rule. Of course, there are people who change brushes almost every month, or even more often (which is good), but in most cases this hygiene item lasts for six months or more. This neglect of hygiene can lead to serious problems.
Why do toothbrushes need to be changed regularly?
Before you figure out how often to change your toothbrush, you need to understand why you need to do this. The fact is that hygiene items should always be kept clean. But even if you carefully care for the brush and wash it every time, bacteria will still accumulate on it, of which there are an incredible amount in the oral cavity. Thus, instead of brushing your teeth, you will always transfer even more bacteria to them. And, of course, deformed bristles will not be able to penetrate into inaccessible places.
A bit about use and storage
How often to change a toothbrush is a rather individual question. Someone does this often, but someone doesn’t. But the main thing is not to exceed the maximum allowable period of use of 3 months. In this case, you need to follow some rules for storing and using toothbrushes:
- After using the brush, wash it thoroughly with soap and water. This is due to the fact that there are a huge number of bacteria in the human oral cavity. This applies even to completely healthy people. Naturally, some bacteria remain on the bristles.
- You need to wash the brush not only after, but also before brushing your teeth. Bacteria and microbes that are in the environment can settle on the bristles. Getting into the oral cavity, they can lead to the development of various kinds of diseases.
- In many families, all toothbrushes are stored in one cup. This is categorically wrong, because when touched, bacteria from one device are transferred to another. Family brushes should be kept separate. If this is not possible, the use of protective caps is mandatory.
- When determining the suitability of a toothbrush for further use, it is not always necessary to be guided only by the appearance of the bristles. Sometimes people brush their teeth so gently that the bristles may not lose their appearance for a whole year. However, this does not mean that there are no bacteria on it.
- To exclude the possibility of the growth of bacteria on the tooth bristles, you can purchase a special sterilizer. But this is only advisable if you use very expensive brushes.
- Many consider it appropriate to store brushes in cases to prevent microbes from entering from the outside. However, they must be completely dry. Otherwise, microbes will multiply even faster.
How to understand that it’s time to change the brush?
How often to change a toothbrush? Most dentists agree that this should be done every 3 months. This is the maximum time allowed. Nevertheless, the brush may become unusable much earlier. So, you need to replace it in the following cases:
- If the villi began to stick out in different directions, the brush can no longer fully perform its functions. She not only does not clean out plaque, but also can injure the gums.
- Most manufacturers of toothbrushes make special indicators in the form of colored inserts in the bristles. When their shade becomes pale, immediately change the brush.
- If visible accumulations of toothpaste or dirt appear at the base of the bristles, such a brush is no longer usable. She not only does not clean, but on the contrary - pollutes the oral cavity.
- If you have a cold or a viral infection, you need to change the brush immediately (even if it is completely new). Continuing to use the same hygiene items as during your illness will put you at risk for reinfection.
- If the brush fell on a dirty floor or was stored in improper conditions, it can no longer be used. Even thorough washing with soap does not guarantee complete cleansing.
- If another person accidentally used your brush, it should be replaced immediately. Otherwise, you run the risk of contracting infectious diseases.
How often to change a child’s toothbrush?
It is in childhood that immunity and health are formed. This applies not only to the internal systems of the body, but also to the teeth. That is why it is worth paying special attention to children's brushes. Given that the child does not yet have sufficient brushing skills, his brushes deteriorate much faster.
Speaking about how often you need to change a toothbrush and why, it is worth noting that the same rules apply for children as for adults. Nevertheless, there is such an important point as addiction. Young children remember well not only the appearance of things, but also tactile sensations. Thus, the new brush may not be pleasant, which will lead to the fact that the child refuses to brush his teeth. It is recommended to buy several identical brushes in advance in order to change them if necessary.
What will happen if you do not change the brush on time
Back in school, children are taught how often to change a toothbrush and why. However, as adults, people do not always follow the instructions of the dentists. So, if you brush your teeth for a long time with the same brush, you may experience such problems:
- due to the accumulation of pathogenic bacteria, caries develops much faster;
- increased risk of stomatitis or gingivitis;
- Using an old brush causes bleeding of the gums.
Toothbrush Recommendations
The answer to the question of how often you need to change your toothbrush, largely depends on how correctly selected this hygiene item. When buying, you should be guided by such tips:
- if the bristles have different lengths, they cope with dirt much better;
- to clean the plaque between the teeth, use brushes with long thin bristles;
- if you have problems with gums, choose brushes with rubber or silicone inserts that perform a massage function;
- if implants or orthodontic constructions are installed in the mouth, pay attention to mono-beam brushes;
- choose brushes with a special scraper to clean the tongue, because it is plaque on it that is the most common cause of halitosis;
- the bristles should be of medium hardness, unless otherwise recommended by your dentist;
- expensive brushes have better material, which not only affects the quality of cleaning, but also extends the service life.
Some more useful tips
Knowing how often it is necessary to change a toothbrush and strictly following this rule, you can maintain a normal state of the oral cavity. Nevertheless, it is important to consider a number of recommendations:
- if your gums are bleeding, you should not change the brush yourself on a softer one - this will not help to solve the problem, but can adversely affect the quality of brushing;
- electric toothbrushes can provoke enamel erasure;
- after morning brushing, it is not recommended to eat anything for half an hour;
- after evening brushing, you can’t eat until the very morning (if you could not resist, be sure to rinse your mouth thoroughly).
Conclusion
Why do I need to change my toothbrush often? The answer is obvious - to maintain a healthy oral cavity. Even if you use the hygiene device very carefully and it looks like new, its service life is no more than three months. As a rule, in a month or a month and a half, a huge amount of bacteria accumulates on the bristles. Thus, instead of thoroughly cleaning the oral cavity, you additionally infect it with microbes. And of course, the life of a toothbrush depends a lot on how well you store it.