The Right Way to Store Your Toothbrush

There are hundreds of dental care programs created to educate young children on the proper routines for healthy teeth. Many of these programs teach kids the best practices for brushing their teeth and recommend turning off the water faucet while brushing. However, one of the most important dental health tips is often overlooked. This article shares how important it is to teach children how to properly store tooth brushes.

Appropriate toothbrush storage and care are important to achieving personal oral hygiene and optimally effective plaque removal, says Maria L. Geisinger, DDS, assistant professor of periodontology in the School of Dentistry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "The oral cavity is home to hundreds of different types of microorganisms, which can be transferred to a toothbrush during use," Geisinger said. "Furthermore, most toothbrushes are stored in bathrooms, which exposes them to gastrointestinal microorganisms that may be transferred via a fecal-oral route. The number of microorganisms can vary wildly from undetectable to 1 million colony-forming units (CFUs). Proper handling and care of your toothbrush is important to your overall health."

— Tyler Greer