You’re brushing your teeth in the morning or at night, but you begin to notice that the bristles on the toothbrush are beginning to curl up and have become soft. What does this mean? Well, it means its time that you change your toothbrush to preserve strong oral health.
If the bristles have become soft and curly, it means that the toothbrush is no longer in a usable condition. This will always happen if you’ve either used your toothbrush for more than four months, or you brush your teeth too hard.
Either way, check your toothbrush and see if it needs changing. Below are the key reasons why you need to change your toothbrush regularly.
It Has A Shelf Life
Like most things, everything has an end date, and this is the same for your toothbrush. Your toothbrush picks up millions of bacteria from your teeth every day and goes through a lot of work to keep your teeth clean. When the bristles begin to wear out, it is a sign that your toothbrush needs replacing. It is important you do this because the brush can no longer work effectively to keep your teeth clean from harmful bacteria.
Your Mouth Will Be Full Of Bacteria
Bacteria penetrate inside our mouths all the time, but you always want to balance the level of it, more to the good side. When you brush your teeth with soft, worn-out bristles, the bacteria the brush picks up will no longer do this. This means the toothbrush will contribute to placing more bacteria on your teeth after you’ve brushed your teeth. This is cause for concern as bacteria can combine with food and sugars to cause an acid attack on your teeth. This can wear down your enamel.
Dental Plaque Build-Up
Dental plaque build-up naturally occurs on the surfaces of your teeth, which is a pale sticky substance, if you do not brush your teeth properly. It may also be caused if you’re using a worn-out toothbrush. Worn out bristles struggle to keep your teeth in check, and plaque occurs from food particles that remain on your teeth. This will more likely happen if you’re using a worn-out toothbrush.
Bad Breath
Bad breath comes from bacteria in the mouth. Consider that your toothbrush can no longer function correctly to remove bacteria from your teeth. The bacteria is likely to stay on your tongue, and the tongue is a likely origination of the bad odour in your mouth.
How To Keep Your Toothbrush Clean
If your toothbrush is old, change your toothbrush now. New or old, it is also important to take the necessary steps in keeping your toothbrush clean after you’ve used it. Bacteria will likely to be on your toothbrush whilst you use it. It is important that you rinse your toothbrush with water because this will help remove the bacteria and any other debris off of your teeth. Store your toothbrush away from other toothbrushes to avoid it being contaminated with bacteria, and store it at a cool temperature on its own.
Do you need more advice on using your toothbrush? Alternatively, it may be time for a scale-and-polish treatment. Our Springvale dentists are more than ready to restore the missing shine in your smile. Contact us here to book yourself in today!