Traditional Toothbrushes

Most toothbrushes have plastic handles that are made by injecting plastic into molds. Plastic is common in toothbrush handles because it’s resistant to bacterial growth, which means that harmful bacteria is less likely to grow on your toothbrush between uses. Plus, the bacteria in your mouth won’t break down your toothbrush as you use it. 

Not only does plastic resist bacteria more than other materials, but it’s also easier to sanitize. This means that any bacteria your toothbrush does collect can be easily removed. 

Bristles

Most toothbrush bristles, whether soft, medium or hard, are made of nylon, a synthetic fiber that won’t break down in water or in the ingredients commonly used in toothpaste. Other materials may be less resilient, so toothbrushes with alternative bristles may need to be replaced more often than toothbrushes with nylon bristles.

Recycling Your Toothbrush

You may be wondering if it’s possible to recycle your toothbrush. Although recycling your toothbrush can be difficult because regular recycling programs require different materials to be separated, meaning you’d have to separate your toothbrush handle & its bristles, there are programs that allow you to send in your toothbrush to be recycled. 

Eco-Friendly Toothbrushes & Bristles

If you want to avoid plastic, there are several eco-friendly alternatives to plastic toothbrushes you can use. Most eco-friendly toothbrushes have wooden handles, usually bamboo, because it is more antimicrobial than other alternative materials. 

Eco-friendly bristles are tougher to find. Boar or pig hair bristles are more common in Europe than in the United States, but for now there aren’t any bristle options available that are both biodegradable & vegetarian. 

If you’re thinking about making the switch to a different type of toothbrush, talk to your dentist about finding the best option for you!

We’ve all seen those commercials & ads that show a toothbrush with a generous swoosh of toothpaste. While that imagery is very satisfying, in reality that’s way more toothpaste than anyone needs.

Reports have shown that about 40% of kids ages 3 to 6 use too much toothpaste, which can set them up for poor oral health throughout their lives. While it’s more important for children to avoid using too much, adults could also benefit from scaling down their toothpaste usage.

How Much Do You Need?

Adults using a fluoride toothpaste need only a pea-sized amount on their toothbrush. Children often need half of that, while infants need even less—about a rice sized smear. Talk to your dentist to get a more accurate picture of how much toothpaste you & your family members actually need.

Why Not Use More?

You may wonder why it’s bad to use a lot of toothpaste. Wouldn’t using more just mean your teeth would end up cleaner? It actually doesn’t work that way, & many dentists say that less is more when it comes to how much toothpaste you use. The main concern with using too much toothpaste is fluorosis, which affects mostly children.

What Is Fluorosis?

Fluorosis is a condition that is caused by ingesting too much fluoride, primarily affecting children up to age 8. While fluoride strengthens teeth by encouraging the enamel to remineralize, this can throw off the mineralization process in teeth that are still developing. The result is adult teeth that come in stained, either by white streaks or dark spots, & in moderate to severe cases the teeth are rough, making them prone to decay as rough teeth are more difficult to clean.

Considering the prevalence of fluoridated tap water, combined with kids’ tendency to swallow toothpaste because it tastes good, it’s important for parents to make sure their children use the right amount of toothpaste to prevent fluorosis & a life of cavities & other dental issues.

Why Should Adults Practice Toothpaste Restraint?

Because their primary teeth have finished growing, adults don’t need to worry about fluorosis. However, they should be aware of how abrasive their toothpaste is. Toothpaste is naturally abrasive to help scrub the bacteria & plaque off your teeth, though some toothpastes are more abrasive than others. Combined with overzealous brushing, you can actually wear down the enamel on your teeth, weakening them against decay.

The good news is that this is easy to avoid. Simply use a soft-bristled toothbrush & a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. Plus, using less toothpaste means you’ll go through the tube less quickly, which can save you money over time!

We all know that brushing your teeth is essential, but did you know that how you store your toothbrush can affect your oral health?

Your oral health depends on minimizing harmful bacteria that cause infections & cavities. Brushing your teeth helps clear away food particles that feed the bacteria in your mouth, but if your toothbrush isn’t clean, you can introduce even more bacteria into your mouth!

Here are some ways you can make sure your toothbrush (& your mouth) stays clean.

Don’t Cover Your Toothbrush

You might think that using a toothbrush cover or keeping your toothbrush in a cabinet or drawer will protect it from bacteria & other germs in your bathroom, but this actually doesn’t allow your toothbrush to fully dry. When your toothbrush can’t completely dry, it creates an environment that is far better suited for bacteria to grow. 

It’s best to store your toothbrush upright & in a way that allows it to air dry. If you share a bathroom or have multiple toothbrushes, make sure that the heads don’t touch one another—that can allow bacteria & germs to transfer between the toothbrushes.

Close the Toilet Lid Before Flushing

Since you should be storing your toothbrush out in the open, it’s important to minimize contaminants in the air. The easiest way to do this is to flush the toilet with the lid closed. When you flush with the lid open, bacteria & other particles are sent into the air—they can travel up to six feet, & you definitely don’t want anything from the toilet getting on anything in your bathroom, especially your toothbrush!

If you share a bathroom & aren’t able to get everyone to put the toilet lid down, try storing your toothbrush in your bedroom. 

Keep Your Toothbrush Away From the Sink

Unfortunately, just closing the toilet lid isn’t enough to protect your toothbrush. If you store your toothbrush too close to the sink, it can be splashed by soap or dirty water, & you don’t want that in your mouth either!

The best solution is to keep your toothbrush in a corner of your bathroom away from the sink & toilet. If you’re strapped for space, you can get a wall-mounted toothbrush holder to place high enough to avoid any splashing from the sink. 

Clean Your Container Often 

Whether you use a cup, a wall-mounted holder or something else to store your toothbrush, you’ll need to clean it regularly to avoid a buildup of dust, germs & bacteria. You can wipe your toothbrush holder with an antibacterial wipe, wash it in the sink with warm soapy water or put it in the dishwasher if it’s dishwasher-safe.

It’s easy to take your teeth for granted. But if you neglect them, they can end up costing a lot. Let’s take a look at what teeth might be worth from a couple different perspectives & you might just see that there’s immense value in taking the time to care for them regularly.

Baby Teeth

For kids around the world, the value of a tooth is tangible. Children who put their lost teeth under their pillows at night find the teeth replaced by money in the morning. Baby teeth (also called milk teeth) have gained value over the years—now, many children receive as much as $5 per tooth!

Replacing Adult Teeth

For adults, losing teeth isn’t quite as profitable. As an adult, if you lose a tooth you don’t get a visit from the Tooth Fairy with some cash, & you won’t have another tooth come in to take its place, either!

Instead, losing a tooth results in a trip to the dentist, who will likely recommend treatment that includes an implant, crown or bridge—or even dentures if enough teeth are missing. Such treatment to replace teeth can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, depending on your dental insurance & what your specific dentist charges. The result of this work would be some very valuable teeth indeed!

Repairing & Improving Teeth

Not all dental treatment is as extreme or expensive. Tooth decay can lead to tooth loss, but when caught early, the tooth can be fixed with more moderate treatment such as a filling, which is typically more affordable than tooth replacements.

Additionally, cosmetic dentistry, including teeth whitening & aesthetic treatment to straighten teeth, can greatly improve the value of your teeth, both by increasing your confidence & potentially preventing costly dental treatment in the future by making them easier to care for—& providing more incentive to do so.

Maintaining Oral Health

The best way to avoid losing your adult teeth is to keep up with your brushing & flossing at home & make sure you don’t miss your six-month dental appointments. These practices cost a few minutes a day & about an hour or so every six months, but can save a lot of money in the long term by preventing tooth decay that can lead to tooth loss & other dental problems.

Additionally, make sure to replace your toothbrushes every few months & stay stocked on floss & fluoride rinse—the cost of doing so is minimal compared to the cost of replacing or repairing damaged teeth.

Think of It as an Investment

In the end, any time or money spent on your teeth is an investment. You need strong, healthy teeth to be able to eat the foods that will keep you healthy overall. Plus, a clean, bright smile does wonders for your confidence, no matter what age you are!

Some of the most important things you can do to maintain your oral health are to brush & floss your teeth & visit the dentist twice a year. But there are lots of ways you can change your everyday habits that will also improve your oral health!

Food Choices

As you may already know, what you eat can damage your teeth. But by shifting your diet to include healthier foods, you can actually strengthen your teeth and gums, especially with foods that contain calcium, fiber, vitamin A & vitamin D. Plus, these foods have lots of nutrients and vitamins that also improve your overall health!

For your oral health, it’s most important to avoid sweet foods with lots of sugar, because sugar is most easily converted into cavity-causing acids by the bacteria in your mouth. If you’re going to eat sugary foods, try to eat them along with your meals; the other food you eat will help clear away the sugar particles on your teeth.

Snacking

Snacking can be bad for your teeth, no matter what you’re eating. When you eat, bacteria in your mouth break down the food into acids that can cause cavities. If you only eat at meals, then your saliva has time in between those meals to neutralize those acids, but if you’re constantly eating in between, your saliva won’t be able to keep up! 

The best thing to do is to minimize your snacking, which will give your saliva time to neutralize the acids from the foods you eat during meals. If you absolutely have to snack, try to only do it once a day, and brush your teeth afterward. 

Chewing on Ice & Gum

Chewing on ice can damage your tooth enamel, so it’s best to stop this completely. If you’re thirsty, try drinking water instead, especially fluoridated water, which contains fluoride that will help strengthen your teeth. 

If you just want something to chew on, try sugarless gum. Make sure it’s sugarless, though, because gum with sugar will provide fuel for damaging acids to create cavities that hurt your teeth.

Whether you’ve already had braces or are considering getting them, you might be wondering when people started using them. Luckily, we’re here to go over the interesting history of braces!

The First Braces

Braces (in some form) have been around for longer than you might think. Very basic appliances have been found on the teeth of mummies from ancient Egypt, but it was actually the Romans who first attempted to straighten the teeth of living patients. 

Archaeologists have found Roman burials with gold wire around the teeth, which was likely a method used to straighten teeth. One doctor, Aulus Cornelius Celsus, even recommended that parents apply pressure with their hands to their children’s new teeth in order to ensure they grew in straight. Although it’s difficult to prove now, he apparently reported success with this practice. 

Developments in France

There weren’t many developments in methods of straightening teeth until the eighteenth century in France. In 1728, Pierre Fauchard created a device he called a bandeau, which was a metal arch that was fastened to the teeth to keep them in place. 

Less than 30 years later, Pierre Bourdet discovered that removing the wisdom teeth could help prevent crowding in the mouth that often led to crooked teeth. In fact, this is still a common cause of crooked teeth today & is one of the reasons people get their wisdom teeth removed! This discovery was a major breakthrough in methods of straightening teeth. 

Modern Braces

It took a long time for braces as we know them today to develop. Even in the 1960s, wires had to be wrapped around individual teeth, since bonding techniques weren’t strong enough to temporarily attach wire to the front or back of teeth. 

Truly modern braces came only with improvements to stainless steel & dental adhesives in the 1970s, which made the process of straightening teeth much quicker & less painful. This kind of braces has continued to be popular even today, although invisible braces, like Invisalign®, have increased in popularity since their invention in 1997.