Patient advice concerning toothbrush care

Toothbrushes are an important part of everyday personal oral hygiene. During plaque and soft debris removal, toothbrushes readily become contaminated with microbes, blood, saliva, oral debris and toothpaste. Toothbrushes can also become contaminated from environmental surfaces and aerosols, user hands and storage containers. Toothbrushes have been suggested as having a role in disease transmission.¹

A number of recent studies have investigated whether microorganisms present on toothbrushes could cause oral and/or systemic infections. The human body is constantly exposed to potential pathogens; however, humans are usually able to resist infections. There are two human defence mechanisms – innate host defences (eg physical and mechanical barriers and antimicrobial chemicals) which are always active and acquired immunity (cell- and antibody-mediated responses) which must be stimulated to become active.²

Although there have been studies that indicate a variety of microbes can grow on toothbrushes after use, there is insufficient clinical evidence that a contaminated toothbrush has led to recontamination, oral infections or other adverse oral or systemic health outcomes.² CDC is unaware of any adverse health effects directly related to toothbrush use.³