While brushing your teeth is undeniably an excellent way to avoid gum disease and reduce the risk of cavities, the home of the toothbrush — your bathroom — is a fairly germ-filled place. Toothbrushes are regularly exposed to a variety of germs, from touching other toothbrushes, fine particles of excrement, and from molds and various other bacteria and viruses. To this end, many people now keep their toothbrushes in cases or use what is called a toothbrush sanitizer to get rid of these germs, since rinsing off your toothbrush is not enough.
A toothbrush sanitizer can use UV light to kill germs. This is the same method used by hospitals to eliminate most bacteria, and it will eliminate about 99.8% of germs on your toothbrush. Many of these new gadgets allow for multiple toothbrushes to be cleaned at the same time, and a number of them accommodate different sizes of brushes, like ones that are electric or kid-sized.
Another type of toothbrush sanitizer works by creating super hot steam, with water you add, in order to thoroughly clean a toothbrush. This too, will help eliminate most of the germs from your toothbrush. However, since this method works by inserting a whole toothbrush into a tiny dishwasher like machine, it may not be practical for some of the electric or battery powered toothbrush models.
Some people consider simply boiling or dishwashing their toothbrushes instead of using a toothbrush sanitizer. While boiling may work all right with some models, you probably shouldn’t use a dishwasher to clean your toothbrush. The toothbrush may gather fine particles of detergent, which isn’t good for you. Again, most battery powered or electric toothbrushes can’t be sanitized by either of these methods.
Even if you use a toothbrush sanitizer, dentists still recommend you replace your toothbrush, or toothbrush head, every two to three months. It’s also important to note that while germs do get on a toothbrush, these seldom cause illness. Yet in our germ-fighting world, the toothbrush sanitizer is ever gaining popularity.
You’ll find a variety of models of toothbrush sanitizers, and cost can vary significantly. You can spend up to $100 US Dollars (USD) for very elaborate types, but less fancy and cheaper versions may work just as well. Still, expect to pay at least $30-40 USD for a toothbrush sanitizer.
