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If you share a bathroom with others, there are most likely traces of poop on your toothbrush, according to research at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. Led by Lauren Aber, the team analyzed toothbrushes from Quinnipiac students who used communal bathrooms with an average of more than nine uses per bathroom. At least 60 percent of the toothbrushes were contaminated with fecal matter--no matter how the toothbrush was stored. In addition, there was an 80 percent chance that the fecal matter found on the toothbrushes came from someone other than the toothbrush's owner. "The main concern is not with the presence of your own fecal matter on your toothbrush, but rather when a toothbrush is contaminated with fecal matter from someone else, which contains bacteria, viruses or parasites that are not part of your normal flora [microbes]," said Aber. It gets worse: The Quinnipiac team found there was no difference in the effectiveness of methods used to clean toothbrushes, such as rinsing with mouthwash or dousing them with very hot water. In addition, using a toothbrush cover not only doesn't protect a toothbrush from bacterial growth, but also creates an environment where bacteria are better suited to grow by keeping the bristles moist and not allowing the head of the toothbrush to dry out between uses. There is some good news! The American Dental Association says there is "insufficient clinical evidence to support that bacterial growth on toothbrushes will lead to specific adverse oral or systemic health effects." Translation: Your toothbrush won't make you sick.
What can you do to keep your toothbrush clean? The ADA recommends the following:
The study findings, which are considered preliminary, were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. --From the Editors at Netscape |
This is disgusting.
