How to Sanitize a Toothbrush
Rinse the toothbrush with hot tap water before and after brushing., Dry the toothbrush thoroughly., Rinse the toothbrush in an antibacterial rinse., Bathe the toothbrush under ultraviolet light., Replace the toothbrush every 3-4 months or as needed.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Rinse the toothbrush with hot tap water before and after brushing.
Hold the toothbrush from the handle grip with your thumb.
Run the bristles back and forth repeatedly under the hot water.
Do this every time, before and after, you brush your teeth and make sure it has been completely cleaned., After finishing a cleaning session you need to shake out the bristles, and make sure the moisture is gone.
Tap the brush handle against a hard surface, such as the sink, to get some of the water out of the bristles.
You can also shake the brush briskly over the sink, bristles face down, to get more moisture out, but never let the brush touch the sink.
Let the brush finish drying without the bristles coming into contact with any other surface.If the bristles touch any other surface, then you might want to re-run them under hot water, and start the drying process over. , Use an alcohol-based rinse or even chlorhexidine
0.02 % mouthwash for this.
Pour some of the rinse into a clean plastic cup.
Just pour enough to dip the toothbrush head and bristles in.
Grasp the toothbrush by the handle grip and dip the bristles into the rinse.
Swish the bristles around in the rinse for 30 seconds.
Remove the brush, tap the handle on a hard edge (such as the sink) to shake out any moisture, and then store it upright to dry without the bristles coming into contact with other surfaces or other bristles of someone else's toothbrush.
Dispose of the cup.Never dip the brush into the main bottle of rinse, or you risk cross-contaminating the entire bottle as well as the brush.
Extend this rinse to a 10 minute soak if you are sick. , Many sanitizers use ultraviolet (UV) light to kill the bacteria on the bristles of the toothbrush.
The basic technique is the same for most of these devices.
Open a user accessible casing of the device.
Insert the toothbrush or toothbrush head (in the case of electric brushes) into an internal compartment.
Close the casing.
Turn on the device and let the UV light clean the bristles for the instructed period—usually just a few minutes.
Remove the brush when the device signals you to do so.There are some alternative methods to these automatic sanitizers that use steam or soundwaves instead of UV light.
The steps to use them will be mostly the same, but the duration of the cleaning may differ.
Also, the sanitizers using steam have almost the same rate of eliminating bacteria similar to the UV ones. , Sometimes the best policy is to simply get a new toothbrush.
The American Dental Association recommends replacing your brush every 3-4 months.
However, closer examination of the bristles can tell you if replacement needs to happen sooner.
Look for the bristles to be individually fraying (splitting at the ends).
Also if you see whole sets of the bristles bent in one direction without returning to an upright position even after drying, then it is time for a new brush.Some toothbrushes have some colored bristles on them, which indicates when to change the toothbrush.
As the color starts to fade and becomes almost the same as the other bristles, it is time to get a new toothbrush. -
Step 2: Dry the toothbrush thoroughly.
-
Step 3: Rinse the toothbrush in an antibacterial rinse.
-
Step 4: Bathe the toothbrush under ultraviolet light.
-
Step 5: Replace the toothbrush every 3-4 months or as needed.
Detailed Guide
Hold the toothbrush from the handle grip with your thumb.
Run the bristles back and forth repeatedly under the hot water.
Do this every time, before and after, you brush your teeth and make sure it has been completely cleaned., After finishing a cleaning session you need to shake out the bristles, and make sure the moisture is gone.
Tap the brush handle against a hard surface, such as the sink, to get some of the water out of the bristles.
You can also shake the brush briskly over the sink, bristles face down, to get more moisture out, but never let the brush touch the sink.
Let the brush finish drying without the bristles coming into contact with any other surface.If the bristles touch any other surface, then you might want to re-run them under hot water, and start the drying process over. , Use an alcohol-based rinse or even chlorhexidine
0.02 % mouthwash for this.
Pour some of the rinse into a clean plastic cup.
Just pour enough to dip the toothbrush head and bristles in.
Grasp the toothbrush by the handle grip and dip the bristles into the rinse.
Swish the bristles around in the rinse for 30 seconds.
Remove the brush, tap the handle on a hard edge (such as the sink) to shake out any moisture, and then store it upright to dry without the bristles coming into contact with other surfaces or other bristles of someone else's toothbrush.
Dispose of the cup.Never dip the brush into the main bottle of rinse, or you risk cross-contaminating the entire bottle as well as the brush.
Extend this rinse to a 10 minute soak if you are sick. , Many sanitizers use ultraviolet (UV) light to kill the bacteria on the bristles of the toothbrush.
The basic technique is the same for most of these devices.
Open a user accessible casing of the device.
Insert the toothbrush or toothbrush head (in the case of electric brushes) into an internal compartment.
Close the casing.
Turn on the device and let the UV light clean the bristles for the instructed period—usually just a few minutes.
Remove the brush when the device signals you to do so.There are some alternative methods to these automatic sanitizers that use steam or soundwaves instead of UV light.
The steps to use them will be mostly the same, but the duration of the cleaning may differ.
Also, the sanitizers using steam have almost the same rate of eliminating bacteria similar to the UV ones. , Sometimes the best policy is to simply get a new toothbrush.
The American Dental Association recommends replacing your brush every 3-4 months.
However, closer examination of the bristles can tell you if replacement needs to happen sooner.
Look for the bristles to be individually fraying (splitting at the ends).
Also if you see whole sets of the bristles bent in one direction without returning to an upright position even after drying, then it is time for a new brush.Some toothbrushes have some colored bristles on them, which indicates when to change the toothbrush.
As the color starts to fade and becomes almost the same as the other bristles, it is time to get a new toothbrush.
About the Author
Danielle Reyes
Enthusiastic about teaching creative arts techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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