Your toothbrush is a crucial tool in your oral hygiene routine. You use it to scrub plaque, food particles, and other residues that form over your smile naturally.
Though this reliable brush proves effective at keeping your teeth clean, healthy, and beautiful, it will wear down over time. Eventually, you will need to toss the toothbrush and purchase a new one.
You will need to replace a traditional manual toothbrush every three or four months. If you have an electric toothbrush, you should replace its head more frequently – about every twelve weeks.
However, if you notice certain changes regarding your toothbrush or your oral health, you may need to buy a new toothbrush sooner. Read on to learn three warning signs that may mean it is time to replace your toothbrush.
Fuzzy Feeling Lingering on Teeth
When you run your tongue across the surface of your teeth, you should feel a smooth, slick finish. If you notice that your teeth have a fuzzy, gritty texture, you could have plaque lingering on your teeth.
Your mouth naturally creates a film of plaque on your teeth throughout your day due to oral bacteria. But you remove plaque in a timely fashion when you brush your teeth.
If plaque remains on your smile after this oral hygiene regimen, then your brush may no longer be effective at scrubbing. This can be due to damaged or worn bristles on the brush. You must replace the toothbrush promptly or lingering plaque could hurt your teeth.
Visibly Frayed Toothbrush Bristles
The routine scrubbing activity that your toothbrush endures will wear down the bristles of your toothbrush over time. Usually, it takes about three or four months before the wear and tear on your toothbrush necessitates its replacement.
However, if you can see that the bristles of your toothbrush seem frayed before this point, you should replace the brush sooner. The bristles can wear down at a faster rate if you tend to use harsh brushing methods.
Frayed bristles cannot remove plaque and other residues adequately, meaning you face a greater risk of cavities, gum disease, and other dental concerns. So replace your toothbrush if you notice visible damage to the bristles.
Bad Smell from Your Toothbrush
If you notice a foul odor coming from your toothbrush, you should not use it. This bad smell could come from an accumulation of bacteria collected from your mouth or from the toothbrush’s surroundings. Rinsing your toothbrush before and after using it can lower the risk of bacterial spread, but it will not eliminate the chances entirely.
A bad smell coming from your toothbrush can also occur due to mold growing on the device. You should store your toothbrush upright and in the open air to allow proper draining and drying and prevent the growth of mold and bacteria on the moist brush. If you do use a bad-smelling toothbrush, you could get sick.
Illness in Your Household
If you or another member of your household contract a contagious illness, the germs will transfer to the toothbrush. Germs can easily spread from a toothbrush to the rest of the bathroom. So to prevent the spread of sickness, the toothbrushes of everyone in the house should be replaced.
You will need to replace your toothbrush when it wears down, but you must toss out toothbrushes exposed to germs as well. Never share your toothbrush with anyone else if you want to avoid getting sick. Learn more about proper care for your toothbrush by talking to your dentist.