Objective – Identify negative effects of microorganisms.
11 Gross Things That Could Be On Your Toothbrush
Erin McCarthy – Mental Floss – May 12, 2004
(clipartpanda.com)
Before you brush today, consider this: Poop is just the beginning of what could possibly be hanging out
on your toothbrush.
1. E. coli
If your bathroom has the sink and toilet in one room, and you flush with the lid open,
there is fecal matter on everything within a five to six foot radius. Flushing vaporizes
your poop, depositing bacteria like E. coli, directly onto your toothbrush. Brushing
with an E. coli-loaded instrument could make you sick. Infectious diarrhea, is one such
illness.
Once E. coli and the other bacteria on this list form colonies, they’re a lot harder to kill.
“One of the reasons you can’t just take an antibiotic and say ‘oh good, my dental
disease is cured’ is because they’re actually in a biofilm,” says dentist Dr. Maria
Geisinger.
The colonies on your toothbrush are similar to the algae that grows at the bottom of
the pool, according to Geisinger. “Your pool is full of water—you can’t just swish it
around and get that algae off,” Geisinger says. “It’s got to be scrubbed off…”
Make sure to flush with the lid down. It will decrease its spread and the poop on your
toothbrush. Also, be sure to wash your hands after you use the restroom and change
your toothbrush every three months.
2. Staph aureus
This bacteria lives in your lungs and on your skin. Under the right conditions, it can
be responsible for some pretty nasty stuff. “It’s often associated with [antibiotic
resistant] MRSA infections … which [are the] flesh-eating bacteria,” Geisinger says. It
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Objective – Identify negative effects of microorganisms.
occurs when bacteria enters the skin through an open wound. It affects people who
have other health problems that might hinder their bodies’ efforts to fight infection.
This condition very rare, but you don’t want this stuff on your toothbrush.
3. Strep mutans
It makes sense that this bacteria would be on your toothbrush—it’s responsible for
tooth decay. “But again, we’d like it not to be there,” Geisinger says. “You don’t want
to take tooth decaying material from one area of your mouth and put it in another
while you’re trying to do your due-diligence about removing deposits.”
Keeping bacteria and other nasty stuff to a minimum on your toothbrush could be as
simple as what you buy. According to one study, “Toothbrushes with lighter or clear
bristles retain up to 50% less bacteria than colored toothbrush bristles,” Geisinger says.
And instead of brushes with fancy perforated or rubber handles, choose solid plastic
handles.
4. Food Debris
That thing you had for dinner last night? Yeah, it’s probably still on your toothbrush
the next morning. Now it’s food for the bacteria on there, too! (As are your poop
particles. Yuck!) Avoid having leftovers and clear out bacteria by washing your brush
before it goes in your mouth in tap water or antibacterial mouth rinse, Geisinger says.
5. & 6. Lactobacillus & Pseudomonas
“These are two bacteria that have been associated with pneumonia type infections,”
and where a patient is on a ventilator, Geisinger says. Thought Lactobacillus is typically
considered a “friendly” bacteria—it’s sometimes used to treat diarrhea and is present in
foods and our own guts—it can also be linked to cavities and tooth decay. Pseudomonas
can cause eye infections if you use contacts and don't clean them properly.
Bacteria grow on brushes that have frayed bristles. Geisinger (and the American
Dental Association) recommend replacing your toothbrush if the bristles are looking
like they’ve seen better days—even if you haven’t hit the three-month mark yet.
7. Herpes Simplex Type One (HSV)
And now, a virus! “The viruses are different than bacteria because they come in little
capsules, and they’re not technically alive—they need your cells to [reproduce]. In a
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Objective – Identify negative effects of microorganisms.
patient who has an active herpes outbreak, [a cold sore], that virus can be … on the
toothbrush up to a week,” Geisinger says. “[There is a possibility] of the viruses on
the toothbrushes” … being transferred from one person to another by sharing
toothbrushes. “HSV can be transmitted in saliva, so sharing toothbrushes during an
oral herpes outbreak could lead to a higher risk transfer of viral particles and therefore
disease,” she says.
8. HPV
Another virus that can make a home on your toothbrush is Human papillomavirus, or
HPV. “It’s linked to both cervical cancer and esophageal and oral cancers,” Geisinger
says. “The interesting thing about HPV is that the presence of HPV in your mouth
seems to decrease if you do a good job with toothbrushing.” And once again, if you
share toothbrushes with someone who has HPV, you could be at risk for contracting it
yourself. “Both viruses are transmissible in saliva,” Geisinger says, “so viral
transmission through shared toothbrushes is a possibility.”
9. Candida
This fungus is responsible for yeast infections and diaper rash. The most common
species in the mouth is called Candida albicans. It causes oral thrush—a yeast infection
in your mouth. “[C. albicans] is linked to higher [tooth] decay rates in kids,” Geisinger
says. “In kids that have candida infections, about 15 % have candida … on their
toothbrush, and it can certainly be passed among siblings or other toothbrushes stored
in the same area.” To keep candida from infecting multiple toothbrushes, make sure
that the toothbrushes are stored upright and away from each other.
10. Moisture
According to Geisinger, one of the worst things you have on your toothbrush is
moisture because it encourages bacteria to grow. “There’s a [swift] drop in bacteria [on
toothbrushes] after about 24 hours, and that’s really because the toothbrush dries out,”
she says. “So, if you can, having two toothbrushes is probably [helpful].” If you’re
using a toothbrush just once every 24 hours, it will stay nice and dry, and bacterial
loads will be low.
Another thing you shouldn’t do: Cover your toothbrush. “Even though it’s tempting
because of the fecal matter from the toilet, covering toothbrushes or putting them in
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Objective – Identify negative effects of microorganisms.
your medicine cabinet does not allow them to dry out,” Geisinger says. “Bacterial
counts on those toothbrushes are considerably higher than on toothbrushes that are
stored upright, separate, and allowed to dry completely.”
11. Blood
Up to 70% of adults in the United States have gingivitis, and about 47% of people
over the age of 30 have destructive gum disease. “That means they have [an infection]
or microscopic breaks in the tissue underneath the gum lines where they can’t see,
which allows blood to get on the toothbrush,” Geisinger says. “It also allows a
pathway for bacteria to get into the bloodstream. In patients with [gum irritation],
bacteria in your bloodstream spike after things that would irritate those [gum
irritations]—including [chewing], eating, toothbrushing, even a visit to your dentist to
have a cleaning.” That’s how dental and oral bacteria end up in plaques that are
associated with heart disease.
“The amount of bacteria in the bloodstream is actually proportional to how much
[gum irritation] and dental disease is present in the mouth,” Geisinger says. “Patients
who are receiving regular dental care—that includes dental cleaning and exams—have
improved levels of gingival [gum irritation], less blood in their saliva, and less blood on
their toothbrush. So go see your dentist!”
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