You brush your teeth twice a day, floss most nights, and use mouthwash, but one toothbrush habit almost every home has is undoing all of it. Your dentist tells you your gums look great, and you leave the office feeling pretty good about yourself. However, when you go home and put your toothbrush back in its usual spot, you may be undermining your oral care routine.
The habit of storing your toothbrush in a certain way is so normal that nobody thinks about it, and that’s the whole problem. The spot where you keep your toothbrush between uses can be quietly working against you, and the routine you’re proud of can’t outrun it.
Researchers at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut studied shared bathrooms and found that 60% of the toothbrushes tested positive for fecal bacteria. The lead researcher, Lauren Aber, said the real worry isn’t your own germs on your brush, but somebody else’s, since those aren’t the ones your body is used to fighting off.
A study on PubMed found that the germs that cause cavities live on the opening of used toothpaste tubes. So, every time your bristles press into that tube, they’re picking those germs back up. The American Dental Association adds that if you keep more than one brush in a holder, you should keep them apart so germs don’t jump from brush to brush.
Almost every bathroom in America has a toothbrush lying flat on the counter, balanced on the edge of the sink, or stuffed into a cup with other brushes. However, the American Dental Association says that keeping a wet toothbrush in a closed container grows more germs than leaving it out in the open air. A brush lying flat on a wet counter or capped in a travel cover stays wet longer, allowing germs to multiply.
Related: Mediterranean charm in mini terracotta pots
Three separate things happen to a toothbrush between uses: drying, contact, and exposure to the toilet. The spot you keep your brush in decides whether each one is harmless or a problem.
Lauren Aber’s findings imply that a small change in our daily habits can have a significant impact on our oral health. By taking a few simple steps to store our toothbrushes properly, we can reduce the risk of germ transmission and keep our mouths healthier. This is not just a matter of personal hygiene, but also of protecting ourselves from the germs that can cause infections and other health problems.
The fix is simple and costs almost nothing. Stand your brush up, out in the open, and let it air dry. Use a little slotted holder on the counter or a holder mounted on the wall. Skip the closed cover and the drawer for daily use, and keep every brush in the house apart from the others. Move your brush a few feet from the toilet, and close the lid before you flush.
Don’t let the toothpaste tube touch your bristles, and rinse your brush well after use. Swap your brush every 3 to 4 months. Replace it sooner if the bristles look bent or frayed, since worn bristles hold more germs.
Under five bucks for a holder, and two seconds to stand the brush up when you’re done. That’s the whole change, and it protects something you use about 700 times a year. You can brush like a pro, floss like a dentist’s kid, and rinse with the strongest mouthwash on the shelf, but none of it lands the way it should if your brush is quietly picking up germs from three different places every time you set it down.
