Changing the toothbrush of your child is a good way of helping them develop a healthy dental practice. The toothbrushes must follow hygienic processes of proper cleaning and storage every time it has been used.
Disposing of old brushes is very important because the longer a toothbrush is used, the longer it accumulates germs found in between the bristles. It does not only spread bacteria but cleaning the teeth becomes challenging.
Although some dental experts and Kids’ dentists recommend old brushes be discarded after three to four months of regular use. If you notice that your child’s toothbrush has frayed or its bristles look matted, you may have to consider changing it.
Also, if by accident, someone has used your child’s toothbrush, it is good to replace it since you’ll be inviting roaming bacteria into your child’s mouth if you don’t. Therefore, from this post, you will learn a few tips on when to replace your child’s toothbrush.
Change The Toothbrush Because It Is A Basic Rule
The basic rule goes a long way in encouraging everyone to change their toothbrush after every three to four months of consistent use. It is advised that you change the toothbrush of your child before you take them in for six months oral checkup. Interchangeably, three months before and three months after the checkup.
However, be mindful of the bristles, even though it is not up to the month you are required to discard them, if it looks flat and splayed, dispose and obtain a new one as soon as possible so that you won’t spread germs instead of cleaning your child’s mouth.
Replace the Toothbrush When It Has Reached Its Expiration Date.
Being careful of the toothbrush expiration is a good reason to look into changing your child’s toothbrush. When you begin to think that the toothbrush is not such a thing to worry about, then you may be so wrong. It is harmful to anyone to use a Toothbrush when it has passed its date of expiration. Old toothbrushes accumulate bacteria that are distributed all over the mouth during brushing instead of cleaning the mouth, as they should.
Your child likely brushes his or her teeth two to three times every day consistently for seven straight days of the week. That is an exhaustive task on the poor brush especially if your child has learned proper dental hygiene and he or she knows how to brush so hard.
If your child is too young to brush and can hardly get rid of plaques on the teeth, he or she would prefer to go about town with the toothbrush thereby exposing the brush to damage too quickly. The bristles will fray and flatten making it very impossible to clean the teeth.
Also, know that old toothbrushes will not clean the teeth any longer. It will rather encourage the splay of germs all over the mouth. This is dangerous for anyone including your child as these germs will cause some oral infections.
In a case whereby a child is sick, having him or her use an old toothbrush will further harm their health, spreading more infections, notwithstanding their state of health. Therefore, using an expired or worn toothbrush should never be welcomed around your young or older children.
Also, replace the toothbrush as soon as it develops observable damages whether or not it has reached its expiration date. Some toothbrushes come with colorful bristles and should be thrown away when the bristle colors begin to fade away.
A new toothbrush promotes good oral health, teaching your children to agree to have their toothbrush changed will help them maintain long-term oral hygiene. Some children cling to a particular brush which they love and are not ready to let go no matter how badly damaged the brush is. You can replace their favorite toothbrush by buying them the same brush.
Understand that Different Toothbrushes Come With Their Longevity
For young children who are still learning to handle successful sessions of brushing on their own, the best toothbrush to get for them is manual toothbrushes. These kinds of toothbrushes are the right choice for them because the bristles are soft, meant for milky teeth and they provide mechanical control example electric toothbrushes that clean the teeth perfectly because of how the bristles spin.
Using ordinary toothbrushes especially some that have rigid bristles that have shapeless ends, will cause your child to apply too much pressure in every brushing session. This ruins the bristles too quickly and harms the gum. Therefore, choosing an electric brush for your child is the best option for them to maintain satisfying oral care.
You will have to change a regular toothbrush more often than you would an electric toothbrush except you are following the basic rules of discarding the toothbrush due to its long-term use or if its expiration date is just by the corner.
Conclusion
It is an excellent pattern to replace your child’s toothbrush, but it is also pertinent to properly care for the existing toothbrush. Make sure the toothbrush is air-dried after use, try not to cap the head of the toothbrush as this will not protect the brush from germs but will instead accumulate germs.
Also, ensure that the heads of the toothbrushes do not come in contact with another toothbrush during storage. You can purchase toothbrush holders that are meant to keep one toothbrush away from the other. If you must cap the head of the toothbrush, use a plastic holder that will protect the bristles from being splayed.
More than anyone else, your child’s toothbrush must be changed more often since their oral health is very important, you don’t want your child to have gum problems or dental cavities because of worn down bristles that can no longer clean their teeth. It is also a great idea to discard toothbrushes that have been exposed to diseases or sicknesses like throat ailments, flu, or any other diseases. Changing these brushes will avoid these diseases from coming back.