They often say there are two ways to do something: the right and wrong way. For those of us who brush our teeth regularly, we may have been doing it wrong all along.
Thanks to some revelations from a Florida dentist, Dr. Jordan Brown, we now realize that we are not only brushing our teeth wrong but also doing something disgusting in the process. Fortunately, Dr. Brown had the sense to upload the video to TikTok. Hundreds of thousands of people have seen it since.
This is a problem that most of us face, but it is more likely to be an issue if you have a small bathroom. It seems as if there is an area around the toilet where the spray comes up, and if we don’t protect our toothbrush, we may be brushing with poop.
According to the dentist: “If you can see your toilet and your toothbrush in the same vision without moving your head, there’s a 99% chance you have fecal matter on your toothbrush.”
Dr. Brown explained that aerosols spray into the air during flushing, which gets on everything. This would include your toothbrush.
The poop on your toothbrush is not a new issue. According to Science Daily, there was a university study in 2015 that tested the transmission of fecal coliforms in college bathrooms. In their estimation, most toothbrushes contain viruses, toilet bacteria, and parasites.
Some people have tried to get past this situation by purchasing a toothbrush cover. A cover may make you feel better, but Lauren Aber, the study’s author, advises against it.
Per Science Daily, Aber says: “Using a toothbrush cover doesn’t protect a toothbrush from bacterial growth, but actually creates an environment where bacteria are better suited to grow by keeping the bristles moist and not allowing the head of the toothbrush to dry out between uses.”
Anytime you leave something within the area of the toilet plume, it is in danger of gathering bacteria and microbes. If you are concerned about this possibility, consider using a toothbrush sanitizer or dipping your toothbrush in Listerine or hydrogen peroxide between uses.
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Or you could always put the toilet seat down.