How clean is the toothbrush that cleans your tooth?

Abstract

Until recently, little attention has been directed towards the role the toothbrush may play in human health, even though a report of toothbrush as a significant factor in the infection appeared in 1920. It is common knowledge that the human mouth harbours a wide variety of microorganisms, some of which, at any given time, can be assumed to be potential pathogens. This was not known when toothbrushes were originally designed, yet the common toothbrush has been used in basically the same form for about 200 years. In today's world of organ transplantation and alteration of the immune system, it is important to consider the toothbrush as a source of potential pathogens. Given the fact that very often people will traumatize themselves with their toothbrush, this trauma may become a potential portal of entry for organisms. In this article, we have attempted to demonstrate the importance of toothbrush disinfection, given tips on home toothbrush care and hope to motivate the dentists to educate the patients on the importance of toothbrush disinfection.

Knowledge and behavior of dentists in a dental school regarding toothbrush disinfection

“…In general, contamination can arise when toothbrushes and toothpastes are shared, or when toothbrushes are stored with the toothbrushes of other individuals. 2,20 In this study, the surveyed dentists mostly stored their toothbrushes in closed places in a toothbrush holder shared with other individuals, and they shared their toothpaste with other individuals. Compared to male dentists, significantly more female dentists indicated that they thought contact between toothbrushes was an important issue.…”

“…The use of a toothbrush cap has also been reported to increase bacterial survival on toothbrushes. 2,5,18 Nascimento et al 19 investigated the effectiveness of three antimicrobial mouth rinses for toothbrush disinfection under in vivo conditions. The participants of that study stored their toothbrushes in closed containers to avoid external contamination.…”

“…2 Recommendations for toothbrush storage include using cup hooks to hang the brushes, cutting a hole in the top of a carton box to store the brush, using closed and/or vented containers, and using a brush box. 2 Previous studies have reported that the number of bacteria is higher in toothbrushes that are stored in closed containers compared to those left open to air. The use of a toothbrush cap has also been reported to increase bacterial survival on toothbrushes.…”

“…Studies have suggested different methods for disinfecting toothbrushes to prevent disease, 9,10 including the use of chemical agents, ultraviolet sanitizers, microwave irradiation, and dishwashing. 2,5,7,9,10,11,12 A lt houg h t h e d i si n fe c t ion me t ho d s of toothbrushes 1,2,9,12 have been investigated in several studies, to the best of our knowledge, no published study has reported the knowledge and behavior of dentists about toothbrush disinfection. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate these aspects among dentists employed at a dental school in Turkey.…”

“…1,2 After usage, toothbrushes are heavily contaminated with various pathogenic bacteria and viruses, 2,3,4,5 which can maintain their viability on the toothbrush for up to a week. 6 Toothbrushes that are contaminated with sufficient amounts of herpes simplex virus 1 could cause infection, 4 and contaminated toothbrushes may play important roles in many oral and systemic diseases, including septicemia and gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal problems.…”