Didn’t think your toothbrush had a personality all its own, including preferences for travel? Well, you’re right about that. It is, after all, an inanimate object. However, pretend for a moment that your brush could speak to you and let you know all about how it is best brought along on trips (you know, such as holiday adventures). Consider how to store it without it becoming somewhat of a threat to your oral health, rather than a perfectly effective dental hygiene accessory!
#1: Wet!
You don’t want to toss your wet toothbrush into a bag or container, throw it into your suitcase, and head out! Why not? Well, your toothbrush pretty much always has some amount of bacteria on it. When you keep it in an environment like a bag in your suitcase, the area is dark and it is wet. This is what bacteria love! They just might increase, which means you’re pulling a not-very-clean brush out to care for your oral health. If this becomes necessary, make sure to rinse your brush very well before next use! However, try to dry off brushes before storing them.
#2: With Other Brushes
You probably don’t want to toss your toothbrush into a container with everyone else’s brushes in your family. There are two reasons. First, when you travel this way, it’s easy to get brushes mixed up. You might accidentally use someone else’s, which is never ideal (you don’t want that special bacteria from someone else’s teeth pressed into yours!). In addition, those are a lot of germs getting mixed up in one bag. Protect your oral health and the health of your very well being by choosing to have everyone carry their own brushes or by storing them separately.
Take Our Travel Tips With You!
Come in for the visit you need and leave with some very helpful travel tips that you may use forever! To learn more, schedule an appointment with your dentist by calling Allen & Neumann Family Dentistry in Pella, IA, today at (641) 628-1121.