A healthy smile depends largely on the foundation of oral care that you build, such as daily brushing and flossing and receiving periodic dental checkups from the dentist. However, you can take additional steps to enhance oral health and prevent oral issues from affecting your smile. Our dental team is here to provide effective tips on dental health, especially when it comes to toothbrush care. If you are in the habit of sharing a toothbrush with someone else often or periodically, we encourage you to stop this potential spread of bacteria and illnesses.
Every mouth is full of good and bad bacteria, which come into contact with the toothbrush during teeth cleanings. While your oral health is not at risk of your own toothbrush (unless you were recently sick), the bad bacteria in your mouth could transfer to someone else’s smile if they use your toothbrush. This may cause your friend or family member to develop oral issues or illnesses. For example, if you develop bleeding gums from brushing your teeth, you could pass on a blood-borne illnesses such as herpes or hepatitis, or receive such an illness if you borrow another toothbrush.
Instead of passing oral care products back and forth, try some quick tips to help your smile feel clean until you are able to use your own toothbrush. If your breath is foul or your teeth feel fuzzy, take a swig of mouthwash and swish it around your smile, suck on a mint, drink some peppermint tea or even munch an apple to restore a fresh feeling to your smile.
We invite you to call Wendy Quiroz, DDS at 559-299-9211 today and schedule a visit with our dentists, Drs. Klassen and Quiroz, if you would like to learn more about the risks of sharing a toothbrush in Clovis, California.