View Full Version : When Replace Toothbrush?
I am seeing the industry say you need a new toothbrush every 6 months to prevent it from getting "too hard" and growing "bacteria." hehe.
so, how often do you replace your toothbrush and how often do you think one should?
hell, how often go to dentist as well? when i grew up, the standard was yearly. now it is every 6 months.
is 3 months next?
Every six months, unless one of us gets really sick. Then I toss the toothbrushes and put out new ones. The idea is to prevent re-infection or the spread of germs. Not sure how effective it is, but it puts my mind at ease LOL
I need a new one every 6-8 weeks, I buy the cheapest Oral-B and tend to walk around the house doing things as I brush so I am hard on them. And then I need one for cleaning something grungy and it's always a good excuse to get out a fresh toothbrush. The thought of keeping one for 6 months just really pushes me over the edge of my relationship with toothbrushes.
rosarugosa
6-15-11, 7:20pm
Probably 6 months, although I'm pretty haphazard about it. I've never replaced them after illness, and we've never gotten reinfected either. I go to the dentist for a cleaning every 3 - 4 months because I'm a smoker.
treehugger
6-15-11, 7:56pm
I replace mine every 6 months since I go to the dentist every 6 months and get a "free" toothbrush. I have experimented with going to the dentist less frequently, and it doesn't work for me. I have heard lots of people say to replace a brush after getting sick, but I have never done that and never reinfected myself. I doubt that this is possible, although I don't know for sure.
Regarding replacing things just because a manufacturer says you should, there are lots of other examples, in addition to toothbrushes. Makeup is the prime example and I break all of those "rules."
I was shocked to read recently at a frugal message board that the majority of posters replace their pillows every xx months (3! 6! 12!) because they have read (or Dr. Oz said, whatever) that pillows fill up with dust mites and dead skin. OK, I'm not saying that that doesn't happen. We know dust mites exist and we know a big percentage of household dust is dead skin, but omg, the waste! I can't help but think of entire pillow-filled landfills. And this was on a frugal site, where people like to talk about how to save money, and the majority of people had bought into the idea that pillows only last for a matter of months. What the heck?
Now, I have chronic neck pain and could probably benefit from a new pillow (mine is I don't know how many years old and quite worn out), but I am putting off the expense because I simply don't have the money.
Kara
My brother-in-law was a dentist and he replaced his toothbrush every 2 weeks. I saw my dental hygienist last week and she told me every 3 months, or sooner if you get sick.
loosechickens
6-16-11, 12:14am
well, if you're worried about bacteria, why couldn't you just soak it in a solution of water with a little bleach in it for a bit, rinse and clean thoroughly and start over.
our toothbrushes are probably several years old. neither of us has ever had any sign of gum disease, have no lost teeth, and we get our teeth cleaned once per year, floss every day, brush several times per day, and have never had any problem. A new toothbrush is just starting to feel "right" when it's about six months old, to me.
And our pillows are about twelve years old........ they get clean pillowcases every week, and you never actually touch the pillows, and neither of us seems to be allergic to dust mites........I guess if you had allergies, etc., it would be a different story.
Wildflower
6-16-11, 3:11am
I use the same toothbrush for a looooong time. Usually the bristles are falling out before I change it. ;) I don't go to the dentist very often either. Saw one for the first time in 10 years. I stay away because I have a real phobia about going to the dentist. I know - it's stupid. But anyway, the dentist said my teeth and gums were in perfect shape, and I didn't even need a cleaning, but I got one anyway. LOL This is after 10 years of not seeing the dentist. Go figure. I do eat well and take good care of my teeth, but rarely floss - my teeth are too close together to even begin to floss easily. The hygenist agreed with me on that one! My new dentist said I was just one of those lucky people that had superior teeth, probably thanks to both good genes and good home care. However, I do plan on going more often now. :)
Every few weeks since I buy the cheap ones the bristles splay out all over the place quickly.
Its probably every 6 -9 months. I use an electric toothbrush, and the brush has fading bristles to tell you when its time to replace. At first I thought it was just a marketing gimmick to get me to replace the brush more often than I otherwise would, but it does seem to correlate to when the brush doesn't feel like its cleaning quite like its used to.
Pillows? You're supposed to replace pillows? I never got that memo. I don't think I've /ever/ thrown one out, except for when they get too flat to be useful.
Regarding pillows - I use those allergy zipper liners and change my sheets and pillow cases every week. I like a super flat thin pillow and those are hard to find anymore so I'm not giving it up. My mom still has feather pillows that are over 40 years old. I bring my own pillow when I visit.
I change out toothbrushes every three months. I am amazed at the length of time that some keep using the same brush!
Toothbrushes are replaced every 4-6 months in our home. When someone gets a sore throat or sick, I soak their toothbrush in a mild bleach solution to kill any viruses/germs.
Just to touch on pillows and replacement, changing out pillows within months is downright wasteful. Allergy sufferers need but invest in a quality vinyl pillow liner (or the likes of something comparable).
loosechickens
6-16-11, 2:34pm
Well, if we ever got sick, or if we had any gum or teeth problems, maybe I'd change my ways, but since we've always used our toothbrushes for several years at least, have healthy gums and teeth, are absolutely never sick, and seem to have really healthy immune systems, maybe we're challenging them with just enough germs in our environment to keep the immune system on its toes and functioning well.
I've often felt in life that it's the people with too FEW germs in their life who have more problems than many folks with too many.....seems like a happy medium where you keep your immune system challenged and it doesn't get flabby, but are careful with the kind of hygiene that prevents what causes most problems, (sh*t to hand to mouth), some level of bacterial challenge encountered by your system is a good thing.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it, is my philosophy.......
In a few years, though, I may look at those pillows with a hairy eyeball..... ;-)
LC. Thing is, don't you find the lack of stiffness in old toothbrushes prevents you from having a clean mouth feeling after brushing? I do. I find after replacing an old toothbrush my teeth and gums feel revitalized again after brushing.
We change brushes every 6 months when we go to the dentist. I always pour mouth wash over the brush before I put it in my mouth.
thinkgreen
6-18-11, 12:26pm
I put mine through the dishwasher now and then to sanitize it. Mine is electric similar to Herbgeek's and I change the brush when the color fades. I'm not actually sure how often that is, certainly not more than every six months but it could be longer.
I replace my toothbrush (sonicare electric) every 3 months. Any longer than that grosses me out. I'd replace them more often if they weren't so expensive, but sonicare does a much better job for me than a regular toothbrush. And as for pillows? I replace them every 2 years max. Usually more like every year.
Miss Cellane
6-18-11, 1:34pm
LC. Thing is, don't you find the lack of stiffness in old toothbrushes prevents you from having a clean mouth feeling after brushing? I do. I find after replacing an old toothbrush my teeth and gums feel revitalized again after brushing.
That's what I've found. After 6 or 7 months, the bristles are too soft to really clean my teeth. I'm a bit puzzled by the OP, who mentions that older brushes get too hard--I've found exactly the opposite.
It's always interesting to see how long people use things. I remember a discussion about underwear on the old boards, where a lot of people said they replaced their underwear after a matter of months, say 3 or 6 or 9 months. At the time, I was wearing 8 year old underwear.
loosechickens
6-18-11, 3:09pm
I think there may well be a difference in the intensity with which some people brush their teeth. Since we find ourselves in various campground restrooms and other places where strangers are brushing their teeth, I've noticed that a number of people brush their teeth what I would call "ferociously", grinding the brush against their teeth, brushing for long periods of time, as they foam like mad dogs.......which I could certainly see would wear out a toothbrush (and presumably the person's tooth enamel) in a relatively short period of time.
We brush our teeth several times per day, and floss daily, but we don't brush hard at all, brush for probably quite a bit less than a minute, use a very small amount of toothpaste, and my several year old toothbrush looks and feels pretty much as it did when I bought it. Although I suspect that many people that I've observed brushing their teeth have ones that would be completely splayed out, bristles worn down to the nub and ready to be replaced in short order.
As I've said, we have healthy teeth, healthy gums, have never had any sign of any kind of gum infection, have had very few cavities, still have all our own teeth at 69 and 61, gums haven't retracted, dentist is always happy with how our mouths are getting along, so for myself, it's definitely an "ain't broke, don't fix it" situation.
BUT......if people brush with the ferocity and strength, assaulting their teeth with the brush as I've seen many do, then by all means, those folks should probably replace their brushes often. For myself, I'd worry more about the damage they might be doing to their gums, or the enamel they might be wearing off their teeth, but..........
Miss Cellane. By far you are one of my favourite members! Your posts and entries are always sooo awesome! Yeah, I've found the opposite too, with old toothbrushes. The bristles get so buttery soft that they don't provide any resistance when brushing. I need resistance! :)
As far as underpants go, I too wear great whites that are years old. Hanging to dry definitely helps preserve the elastic (allowing the owner more mileage out of them) over drying them in the electric, and when I happen across a pair with a lazy elastic-waistband (and I occasionally do) but the body of the pants are still in good working order, I simply wear a diaper pin through the waistband to smarten them up again!
A number of good points LC. No ferocity when I brush, but I most definitely let my teeth (and gums) know I visited them! I brush twice daily (minimum) and floss once daily (minimum). Given a choice I'd take flossing over brushing any day!
I have a Sonicare and although I just got a great deal on replacement brushes (4/$39 at Sam's Club), I do try to stretch them to six months if I can. Maybe less now since they were cheaper.
Pillows get replaced when they don't offer any support. On an episode of Dirty Jobs, it was mentioned tha mattresses weigh more when they are old because of all the dead skin they contain so I imagine pillows catch all of it too. And both are covered with sheets/cases. I once worked with a 40 yr. old guy who still used his pillow from his childhood. Ick!
LOOSECHICKENS,
You bring up a point that I have been dealing with / thinking about.
Ten years ago, when I was in my college dorm, a guy was brushing very hard. Some dude standing next to him was screaming mad at him saying "DUDE, YOU CAN'T DO THAT! YOU ARE GOING TO DESTROY YOUR GUMS."
Recently, I have had a tooth that is becoming very sensitive at the gum line. I put my finger nail on it and I can feel the root albeit barely (where it should be covered with my gum, I believe).
So....just a few days ago, I started brushing very very softly almost tickling myself being so gentle. Guess what? I notice a significe improvement on that tooth and actually in the last day, I have felt NO sensitivity at all with it.
But, I am seeing that I am feeling sand paper on my teeth like I am no longer getting all the tarter off. I think I have been brushing TOO light recently and not actually doing much with the teeth. So, I just started rubbing a bit more but definitly not as much as I used too (I think I had been brushing too hard).
So we shall see what happens! I definitly think I may have been brushing too hard on these years. Do you ever think you brush too light? Do we have to find that happy middle? So we do not ruin our gums, but also get that tarter off?
Thank You for your Wisdom.
loosechickens
6-19-11, 11:42pm
heydude......remembering back more than thirty-five years here....my ex-husband had receding gums problems, and so, sensitive places where root should be covered by gums. His dentist had him brush AWAY from the gums, as opposed to "up and down" or "sideways", It took longer for him to brush, having to make all the strokes from the gumline toward the top of the tooth, both upper and lower, but his gums improved a lot.
Yes, probably, too, hitting that happy medium where you get your teeth clean, but don't abrade your gumline or wear off the enamel is good. Not that I'm any expert on it. But we must be hitting that happy medium, because teeth feel clean, and we have no tooth or gum problems.
For while your tooth is sensitive, Sensodyne toothpaste is really good for that........ my ex-husband used that, too, to good results.
Good luck.....
Wildflower
6-20-11, 6:37am
I don't know what the big deal is about using pillows for a long time. They can be washed you know! ;) A trip through the washing machine and dryer will kill any nasty dust mites. And a good tip is to dry the pillow in the dryer with a couple tennis balls. The balls bounce around and refluff the pillow while drying. :)
I don't know what the big deal is about using pillows for a long time. They can be washed you know! ;) A trip through the washing machine and dryer will kill any nasty dust mites. And a good tip is to dry the pillow in the dryer with a couple tennis balls. The balls bounce around and refluff the pillow while drying. :)Yes, exactly! Love your take on simplicity and reusability Wildflower. :)
Replace pillows?? I wash mine in the washing machine.
Miss Cellane
6-21-11, 8:02am
I don't know what the big deal is about using pillows for a long time. They can be washed you know! ;) A trip through the washing machine and dryer will kill any nasty dust mites. And a good tip is to dry the pillow in the dryer with a couple tennis balls. The balls bounce around and refluff the pillow while drying. :)
I do think there's a time when pillows stop being a good support for your head. Certainly not after a few months, but eventually the stuffing starts to break down and the pillow goes flat.
My aunt's guest bedroom had feather pillows that plumped up beautifully. But the second you put your head on them, they went flat. Even folded in half, there was almost nothing under your head but the pillow ticking and the pillow case. Those pillows had come from her childhood home. They were old, maybe 30 or 40 years at that point. I hated sleeping on those pillows.
As a kid, we had to have all foam rubber pillows, because of Dad's allergies. Those started to crumble and fall apart, with little bits of foam working their way out of the ticking, after many years of use.
At some point, most things that get used heavily do need to be replaced. Probably not as often as the manufacturers would like you to replace them. But if you sleep on a mattress every night, the springs get compressed, the padding get compressed and eventually, that mattress isn't going to be as comfortable as it was at the start and it's not going to offer the same degree of support. The replacement point is going to differ for everyone.
Now, my parents had a bed that was either my grandparent's or great-grandparent's. It had a horse hair mattress. At some point, the ticking started to tear, more from old age than anything else. They found a zip-up mattress cover and continued using it. My mom had back problems for years, and I've wondered just how much of that was caused by sleeping on an over 50 year old mattress with the stuffing coming out of it for most of her adult life.
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