How often should I change my toothbrush?
The vast majority of people, including the author of this article, change their toothbrush when it becomes completely unusable, becoming like a shaggy monster. As it turned out, this is very wrong. Such a brush is not only not useful, but harmful, and here's why. Firstly, it is necessary to change the toothbrush because the bristles sticking out in all directions do not clean out microbial plaque, since they lose the ability to penetrate in slender rows where they are intended.
Secondly, it is necessary to change the toothbrush because microcracks appear on the bristles after long use, since the material from which the bristles are made wears out. Since no person sterilizes a toothbrush before use, microbes from dental deposits and microparticles of food get into microcracks and roughness. These two components get along well with each other, in favorable conditions of a humid warm bathroom, microbes multiply intensively, as a result, their whole colonies can be on an old toothbrush.
Thirdly, it is necessary to change the toothbrush because the bristles, which become stiff from wear, sticking out in different directions, injure the delicate mucous membrane of the oral cavity, also introducing microbes there, which were discussed above, which is not useful at best, but at worst can lead to stomatitis. It has now become clear to even the most skeptical toothbrush users that they need to change their toothbrush before the shaggy stage appears. The question arises, how do you know when it's time?
You can get a detailed answer on this issue by visiting the dental forum, but we will give you some basic tips. Some toothbrush manufacturers install the indicator in the form of a section of dyed bristles, when it becomes discolored, it is time to change the toothbrush. Observations of serious scientists and tests of toothbrushes under various loads have shown that if you brush your teeth the way dentists recommend - three minutes twice a day, with medium pressure, then the bristles will wear out in three months. Thus, you need to change your toothbrush every three months. In order not to get confused, dentists advise to time the change of the toothbrush with the change of the season. If you brush your teeth more often or press hard on the brush, then it may wear out earlier, and then change it as soon as you notice the characteristic "shaggy" bristles.
By applying these simple rules, you will save yourself a lot of problems, because in the end, changing a toothbrush is much easier than changing teeth.
Found a mistake in the text? Select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
