TOOTHBRUSH CARE
Toothbrush Care: Cleaning, Storing and Replacement Toothbrushing plays an important everyday role for personal oral hygiene and effective plaque removal. Appropriate toothbrush care and maintenance are also important considerations for sound oral hygiene. The ADA recommends that consumers replace toothbrushes approximately every 3–4 months or sooner if the bristles become frayed with use. In recent years, scientists have studied whether toothbrushes may harbor microorganisms that could cause oral and/or systemic infection. 1-4 We know that the oral cavity is home to hundreds of different types of microorganisms; 5 therefore, it is not surprising that some of these microorganisms are transferred to a toothbrush during use. It may also be possible for microorganisms that are present in the environment where the toothbrush is stored to establish themselves on the brush. Toothbrushes may even have bacteria on them right out of the box 4 since they are not required to be s