Here's how often you should change your toothbrush—and what can happen if you don't, according to a dentist at UCLA (2024)

FAQs

Here's how often you should change your toothbrush—and what can happen if you don't, according to a dentist at UCLA? ›

The average life of a toothbrush is 3 to 4 months. After that, the bristles can become frayed and not clean your teeth effectively. Millions of germs can live on your toothbrush on any given day. That's one reason it's important to change your toothbrush regularly.

The American Dental Association recommends replacing toothbrushes every three months. It's around this time that bristles begin to break down and become less effective at cleaning your teeth. Germs are another factor. While we might not like to think about it, germs build up on our toothbrushes over time.

The bottom line: It is strongly recommended that you change your toothbrush or toothbrush head every three months, when the bristles are worn or frayed, or if you become ill. Rinsing in hot water and sanitizing in mouthwash is also a good idea.

Changing your toothbrush more often will help you prevent oral-related bacterial and fungal infections. Over time, the brush bristles become uneven due to the friction and pressure of brushing the teeth. The rutted bristles scrape away gum tissues causing the enamel to wear out.

“The average person should be swapping out for a new toothbrush every three to four months,” explains Dr. Sienna Palmer, DDS, dentist at Meridien Dental in Santa Monica, CA. “This is recommended to ensure that the bristles are still effective and bacteria accumulation on the toothbrush is minimal.”

Can your dentist in Columbiana really tell if you don't brush your teeth as often or as well as you should? Well, it turns out that your dentist not only knows if you brush your teeth, but they also know a lot more about you, even if you don't tell them.

You should replace your toothbrush at least every three months, according to Kelman. But for some, especially people who brush their teeth a bit aggressively, you'll need a new one even sooner, she adds. "When in doubt, you need to look at the bristles," says Kelman.

"A visibly worn brush is less effective at removing plaque, especially below the gum line," Dr. Iafolla says. Lingering plaque opens the door to a number of oral health complications, including decay, gingivitis and eventually gum disease. The older your brush, the more germs it harbors.

American Dental Association recommends replacing your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months. This can be different for each person. You should be on the lookout for worn or frayed bristles on your toothbrush because brushing with an old toothbrush can damage the teeth and gums.

Run hot water over it before and after each use

For most people, clean, hot water is enough to sanitize a toothbrush between uses. Before applying toothpaste, run hot water gently over the head of your toothbrush. The water should be hot enough to produce steam.

Do unused toothbrushes expire? ›

Toothbrushes. An unopened toothbrush will never expire, but it should be replaced about every 3 to 4 months after use. The more you use a toothbrush, the less effective it will be as time goes on. It will eventually begin to fray, causing it to not clean your teeth as well.

According to experts, you should be swapping your toothbrush out every three months. If you're brushing your teeth as often as you should be (twice a day for two minutes, at a minimum!), your toothbrush will get subjected to quite a bit of wear and tear over the course of a few months.

Aside from bad breath and an unpleasant taste in your mouth, you won't develop cavities or gum disease if you miss your daily dental care once. However, repeatedly skipping brushing can have more negative effects and increase your risk of cavities and gum disease.

A regular, manual toothbrush should be replaced every three to four months. This is because the bristles on the toothbrush usually become worn down in that amount of time.

A review of studies showed that, in general, electric toothbrushes do decrease more plaque and gingivitis than manual toothbrushes. After three months of use, plaque was reduced by 21 percent and gingivitis by 11 percent. Oscillating (rotating) toothbrushes seem to work better than just vibrating toothbrushes.

Ideally, patients will floss at least once a day. The best time to floss is at night before bed and before you've brushed your teeth. It's important to floss before brushing, as brushing will help displace any of the substances you dislodge from between your teeth from your mouth.

If the bristles start to look worn or shabby, or if the wire starts to fatigue (bend or twist), we recommend you throw it out and replace it with a new one. Often an interdental brush may only last for 1-2 weeks.

Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste for at least two minutes each time you brush. This recommendation is from the American Dental Association. When you brush, you help take food and plaque off your teeth.

No, brushing three times a day is not excessive. While twice a day is the minimum recommendation from the American Dental Association, brushing teeth after every meal is ideal for optimal oral health. The reason being that bacteria and food particles can accumulate on our teeth within minutes of eating or drinking.