Dentist shares that "mould does grow on toothbrushes"

Dentist shares that "mould does grow on toothbrushes"

You learn something new every day...

Two white toothbrushes inside a white ceramic cup
Two white toothbrushes inside a white ceramic cup/Pexels/@PietroJeng

Our dental health is not given the priority it requires and deserves. 

Things like how often you should change your toothbrush has long been something that we have heard but rarely practiced. Well, not everyone does it as diligently as they should. 

But preventative dentist Dr Ellie Phillips has shared an insightful tip on toothbrush practice and she says that this tip will help prevent unnecessary dental treatments. 

How often do we use our toothbrush and then immediately put the cover on? 

Well, some of us don't even use a cover and leave our toothbrushes exposed in the humid bathroom, or worse, near the toilet. 

Dr Phillips reveals that mould does gather on our toothbrushes and no amount of hot water or washing can remove mould. We're not sure about you, but this left us horrified. 

She goes on to suggest that we should have two toothbrushes, one for the morning and one for the night, purely because leaving our toothbrushes to air dry for 24 hours is what will help our oral health. 

Watch what she had to say below, courtesy of TikTok

@drelliephillips Do this with your toothbrush every single day! 🪥 #toothbrush #healthyteeth #teethtok #dentistadvice #oralhealth ♬ Guitar instrument pop - Margarita

For more from East Coast Radio


If you thought that was bad, reading some of the comments unlocked bigger fears. 

One person said, "Flush the toilet with the cover down!". We assumed that this is a solution to avoid germs attacking our brushes if your toilet is in the bathroom, but this is what Dr Phillips replied with...

"Actually it’s not adequate - and E.coli bacteria can exacerbate periodontal disease and make it more aggressive." 

We can safely say that we learnt something so simple yet so vital for our oral health, while simultaneously unlocking a germophobic fear...

Vic podcast
East Coast Radio

Follow us on social media: 

HOW TO LISTEN TO EAST COAST RADIO

  1. Listen to East Coast Radio on the FM (frequency modulation) spectrum between 94 and 95 FM on your radio.
  2. Listen live to ECR by clicking here or download the ECR App (iOS/Android).
  3. Listen to East Coast Radio on the DStv audio bouquet, channel 836. 
  4. Switch to the audio bouquet on your Openview decoder and browse to channel 606
  5. Listen to us on Amazon Alexa

Image Courtesy of Pexels

Show's Stories