Replace toothbrush every three months: Cheap Trick Thursday
Replace your toothbrush every three months, says Consumer Reports.
I can't say I've always been vigilant about this, but the American Dental Association agrees that replacing toothbrushes every three months or earlier if bristles become frayed is a good idea because your mouth is full of bacteria. Not just your mouth, but all of our mouths.
And so, switching up your brush every three months will help prevent bacteria from building up and re-entering your mouth the next time you attend to your oral hygiene.
And that's important because ...
... bacteria is what leads to nasty stuff like cavity-causing plaque and irritating stuff like bad breath.
Irritating, because people spend a lot of money on mouthwash and gum and curiously strong mints to try to avoid stinky breath, when maybe a toothbrush and some skillfully wielded dental floss could do the trick.
And, in this age when people are losing benefits such as dental insurance, and so many other people don't have access to dental coverage to begin with, it would seem like something like flossing would be a good habit to nurture as a preventative measure. It's kinda like debating which is more expensive, a gym membership or a prescription co-pay.
You don't have to spend much on either implement; according to Consumer Reports, use any toothbrush with soft or medium bristles twice a day and any floss once a day and you'll rid yourself of most of the worst gunk.
And that's the point here: investing in preventative maintenance. What other replacement schedules do you follow religiously, to avoid the cost of disaster down the road? Replacing belts in my car is the first example that comes to mind.
(photo: Jed Kirschbaum/Baltimore Sun)
