How Often should you replace your toothbrush?

Did you know as many 10 million microorganisms live on your toothbrush? That might have made you want to vomit, but everything about the sentence is true. You might be happy to know that any of these microorganisms aren’t harmful to your teeth or gums.
Replacing toothbrush is as simple as buying new clothes after your old ones have faded. We remember the instructions our doctors tells about brushing teeth two times a day and flossing them once, but they also tell about changing the toothbrush often, but no one remembers that.
So, how often should you change your toothbrush?
The American Dental Association suggests you to replace your toothbrush every three to four months. You can replace it earlier if the bristles are bent and the toothbrush doesn’t clean your teeth that well. The moment the bristles start getting crooked or bent, just throw it away.
Straight and fine bristles are required to clean your teeth from any germs or bacteria and plaque. So if they are bent, it doesn’t serve the purpose they are used for.
What type of toothbrush should you choose?
As long as you are comfortable, choose any type of toothbrush – manual or electric but make sure the bristles are super soft and do not hurt your gums in any way. Weigh the pros and cons and then finalize which type of toothbrush you want to stick to.
The good thing with electric toothbrushes is that you get to choose the brush type, and since the functioning is automatic, you may have more effectiveness.
On the other hand, a manual toothbrush is lightweight and easy to carry, while an electric one requires you to charge it. You cannot keep an electric toothbrush in your luggage while travelling in air and have to keep it in your handbag. You have more control over a manual toothbrush and it doesn’t make any noise, while an electric one does make a lot of noise.
One of the biggest advantage of using an electric toothbrush is that most of them come with a sensor so you don’t brush for a longer time unnecessarily.
How to keep your toothbrush clean?
Rinse your toothbrush thoroughly after brushing your teeth and make sure that there is no toothpaste left on it. Always keep the brush in a vertical position so that the excess water on it drains off. Avoid storing it in a closed container or in cabinet as it becomes an ideal place for bacteria to multiply. Some dentists recommend you to dip the brush in rubbing alcohol to kill all the germs right away.
Buy toothbrushes in stock for at least a year for your entire family, so that there is no last minute rush about not having it. Keeping some in stock also comes handy if a guest is visiting you and has forgotten to bring their toothbrush along with them.