Is There Fecal Matter on Your Toothbrush?

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How clean is your toothbrush? It’s common enough for your brush to gradually take on bacteria while you brush it, which is why it is important to rinse it out every so often. However, if you are not careful, you may end up brushing your teeth with something far more unsavory.

According to a recent study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, a surprising number of toothbrushes are contaminated with human fecal matter. The study took a collection of brushes that are stored in shared bathrooms, finding fecal particles on more than 60%. Further, it was found that there was an 80% chance that these contaminants were coming from somebody other than the brush’s owner, which is less healthy than waste originating from your own system.

Contamination happens largely because of the light spray of water which results from flushing your toilet. Therefore, you should take measures to store your brush away from the line of fire. Putting your brush in a closable container, but preferably still exposed to the air so that it can dry out between brushings, is preferable. Contact our Federal Way dentistry for more information on proper toothbrush maintenance.

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