To maintain your oral hygiene properly, it is essential that you brush your teeth properly, at least twice a day. This means, your brush would be used a lot and it is essential to replace them at the right time. Using the same toothbrush for too long would not make it so effective and it can also cause several other issues.

In this article, we will discuss how often you should replace your toothbrush and the importance of doing so:-

Changing Manual Brushes

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that it is important to replace your toothbrush once every three to four months. In case you are using a brush longer than that, the bristles might get worn out and they would become inefficient in clearing out plaque from your teeth.

Changing The Heads Of Electric Toothbrushes

According to an endodontist, it is ideal to replace the head of your electric toothbrushes once every 12 weeks. This means you would need to replace the electric ones more often compared to the manual ones- this is because the former has much shorter bristles. This is why they might get worn down more easily and should be replaced sooner. You might sometimes have to replace their head sooner than 12 weeks- whenever you notice that their bristles are not in a good condition.

Other Reasons For Changing Your Toothbrush

If anyone at your home has fallen sick, it would be a good idea to change theirs and everyone else’s toothbrush. This is true especially if you have acquired any viral or bacterial infection. Also, if anyone uses your toothbrush by mistake, ensure to replace them.

Tips On Making Your Toothbrush Last Longer

Here we have listed some tips by a renowned endodontist that will help you to keep your toothbrush in a good condition for as long as possible:-

●       Keep your toothbrush in a separate place, where it would not come in contact with other toothbrushes. This will help to prevent oral germs from one person to another throughout the household.

●       After each usage, be sure to thoroughly rinse your toothbrush.

●       Ensure to not store your toothbrush in a closed container. This is because if the toothbrush stays wet in a closed area, it would create the perfect environment for the bacteria and the moulds to grow.

●       No matter how close you are to another person at home, never ever share toothbrushes with each other.

●       Never use soap, detergent, or any other kind of disinfectant for cleaning your toothbrush.

Maintaining your oral hygiene is very important and one of the best ways to do so is by changing your toothbrush at the right time. You can consult your dentist to know the right instances when you can change your toothbrush.