Brushing our teeth after each meal is an essential practice within good personal hygiene habits. With this we achieve a clean mouth, free of food debris, we combat the accumulation of tartar and the proliferation of bacteria. Having a whiter smile and fresh breath requires proper tooth brushing, which is also essential to keep oral conditions such as gingivitis or cavities at bay.
We tend to believe that it is a routine activity as simple as buying a toothbrush and toothpaste that suits our preferences and needs. Some people opt for a whitening toothpaste, others opt for those that freshen breath, and others turn to those that reduce sensitivity.
But this is not enough: we also have to know how to brush our teeth correctly and how to take care of the toothbrush so that it is in good condition. The latter is what concerns us here, since it is quite likely that you are making some mistake when it comes to storing your toothbrush after each use.
Dentist Sol Lois accumulates 112 thousand followers on her Instagram social network profile, where she shares content about dentistry and oral health. Among her videos, we find one in which she tries to banish the common habit of putting the cap on the toothbrush. It is something we do unconsciously when our brush comes with a cap, we put it on believing that this will protect the bristles from dust, other bacteria and friction with other brushes, but nothing could be further from the truth.
“Do not store your toothbrush with the cap on or in closed containers,” warns the dentist, because “humid environments encourage the proliferation of microorganisms.” The expert emphasizes that the cap should only be used when we want to transport the brush, but not on a regular basis.
Instead, it recommends that after using the toothbrush we rinse it well to remove food debris and toothpaste. Afterwards, we must leave it in a clean container, preferably alone and in a vertical position, so that the bristles are on top.
Why is it better to store your toothbrush alone? The dentist addresses this issue in another of her videos, because if we leave it in a glass along with the brushes of other family members or people we live with, viruses and bacteria can be transmitted through contact between the bristles.
