Disgust on the toothbrush: contaminated with bacteria and faeces
Created: 2023-01-08 07:15
By: Kilian Bäuml
You put it in your mouth every day, but many do not even know that bacteria and often even faecal germs are on it: the toothbrush.
Kassel – Where it is damp and warm, bacteria spread quickly.
The bathroom is therefore a perfect place for germs to multiply.
On the other hand, one place where few people probably expect them is at the toothbrush.
“Calculated as a thumb, we find about a million germs on the toothbrush.
That's as much as on a damp towel, on a washcloth or maybe on a dishcloth," said microbiologist Dirk Bockmühl to
SWR
.
There are also faecal germs on the toothbrushes and they often don’t even come from you.
Toothbrush contaminated with bacteria and faeces: germ spinner shared bathroom
In a study published in the American scientific
journal Siencedaily
, more than half of the toothbrushes examined had faecal germs.
The germs of other people were often found.
"The main problem isn't the presence of your own feces on the toothbrush, but when a toothbrush is contaminated with someone else's feces that contain bacteria, viruses, or parasites that aren't part of our normal flora," says Lauren Aber, a Quinnipiac graduate student University cited.
There are around half a million bacteria on the toothbrush.
(Iconic image) © Isai Hernandez/Imago
Especially in shared bathrooms, there is a high probability that the toothbrush is contaminated.
If the bathroom is used by several people, it is even as high as 80 percent that other people's faecal germs are on their own toothbrush.
Bacteria and faeces on the toothbrush: you should pay attention to this
In order to keep the multiplication of germs on the toothbrush as low as possible, Bockmühl has the following advice:
Because germs need moisture to multiply, you should try to keep your toothbrush as dry as possible.
After use, you can dry the toothbrush with a clean cloth.
There is more drying time when using two toothbrushes.
One toothbrush could be used in the morning and the other in the evening.
Toothbrushes should be changed at least every three months.
This can often be recognized by a discoloration of the bristles.
The toothbrush should also be changed after an infection, for example a flu or corona infection.
For optimal oral hygiene, researchers at the University of Kassel recently developed an intelligent toothbrush that digitally records the process of brushing teeth.
Should you brush your teeth before or after breakfast?
There are divided opinions, even among experts.
An overview of what should be considered when brushing your teeth in the morning.
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This mistake increases the buildup of bacteria and fecal matter on the toothbrush
With a cover you can not protect yourself from the nobody, quite the opposite.
"Using a toothbrush cover doesn't protect the toothbrush from bacterial growth, but rather creates an environment where bacteria can thrive better because the bristles stay moist and the toothbrush head doesn't dry out between uses," Aber said.
Another classic mistake that many make in the bathroom is storing the toothbrush in the bathroom cabinet or upside down in the toothbrush cup.
This should also be avoided.
(kiba)
