Surprisingly, you should be washing your toothbrush! One reason why we brush our teeth is to scrub away harmful tooth decay-causing bacteria, so it makes sense that you’d need to wash that same bacteria from your toothbrush as well.

But let’s dig a little bit deeper and go over some tips to keep your toothbrush clean (Spoiler alert: It’s easier than you think).

1. Rinse before and after brushing

Our first tip is by far the simplest and most effective thing you can do to keep your toothbrush nice and clean. All you have to do is make sure that you rinse it both before and after you brush. Hold your brush under hot running water for several seconds to soften bristles and wash away food particles and toothpaste. After that, take your thumb and gently run it over the bristle to dislodge any stubborn bits that still remain. After that, give it one more rinse with cold water to get any last remnants and firm the bristles back up.  

2. Keep your brush stored smartly  

Part of keeping a toothbrush clean is limiting its exposure to any gross gunk. Keep your toothbrush in a closed cabinet if possible (but avoid individual toothbrush caps, as the tight enclosure can promote bacterial growth). If you’re storing different toothbrushes for multiple people, keep them as far apart as you can to avoid cross-contamination. And finally, try to always remember to flush the toilet with the lid down to limit the spread of tiny particles of... you know what... from settling on the brush.  

3. Sanitize if necessary

For the most part, you don’t need to worry about directly sanitizing your toothbrush – rinsing it regularly should be enough to keep it clean. If you do find yourself needing to disinfect, however, the process is easy enough – just leave your brush bristles submerged in antibacterial mouthwash for at least 30 seconds. The alcohol in the mouthwash will kill the majority of the bacteria on the bristles.  

4. Replace your brush regularly

It’s a simple fact: Most people wait way too long to replace their toothbrushes. You should swap for a new one as soon as you start seeing signs of wear or after three months, whichever comes first. That way, bacteria won’t have as much of a chance to build up.  

5. Consider a Curaprox brush

We’ve talked about Curaprox toothbrushes plenty of times before – there are lots of reasons they’re our favourite style of brush. But did you know that polyester Curaprox bristles don’t retain as much bacteria as typical nylon brushes do? If you’re worried about brush cleanliness, that’s a big positive in our books. Plus they are much more durable and don’t need to be replaced nearly as often.

If you have any questions about your oral care routine or oral health in general, your regular six-month checkup is the perfect time to ask! Just use the orange Book Online button to set up your appointment today – we’re more than happy to help with any questions you may have.