4 Signs it’s Time to Replace Your Toothbrush

To keep your teeth strong, healthy, and white, it’s important to brush them at least two times a day—along with eating nutritious foods and flossing. Having a healthy smile will help you feel confident, fresh, and happy. But, just like our clothes and toys get worn out, so can our toothbrushes! Here are four signs that you need to replace your toothbrush.

Fraying Bristles

Have you ever noticed your once brand-new toothbrush bristles start to fray? This is a common sign that your toothbrush needs to be replaced. Once the bristles lose their stiffness, they don’t clean your teeth as well. You should prioritize having clean teeth to avoid cavities, gum diseases, and other problems. To keep your toothbrush bristles from fraying too quickly, try brushing your teeth more gently. Children’s toothbrushes are known for fraying quickly due to their more vigorous brushing. Not only is gentle brushing better for your brush, but for your teeth as well.  

Sicknesses

If you’ve recently had an illness or virus of some sort, you should consider replacing your toothbrush, even if it’s brand new. Sicknesses, especially ones like the flu or strep throat, can linger on your toothbrush making you more susceptible to germs—and scrubbing your teeth with germs isn’t very clean or healthy.  

Time

Since brushing our teeth is simply part of our daily routine, it’s not uncommon to miss the signs that your toothbrush is becoming more and more aged. If the fraying doesn’t warn you and you don’t get sick, you may simply forget that you need to replace your toothbrush. However, they need to be replaced about every three to four months to be most effective for your teeth. So, if you can’t remember the last time you bought a new toothbrush or went to the dentist for a free one—it may be time to add them to your shopping list. 

Dentist Visit

Going to the dentist and receiving the goody bag of floss, toothpaste, and a toothbrush is undeniably the best part of the appointment. Many dentists give these items to their patients as a reminder that they need to be taking care of their teeth and replacing their toothbrushes. They recognize that many patients only replace their toothbrushes when one is supplied to them. For people who don’t make their biannual appointments, their toothbrushes won’t be replaced for an entire year, if not longer! If you haven’t changed your brush since your last dentist visit, it’s time for a replacement.

Replacing your toothbrush is necessary to keep the bristles in tip-top shape, to keep your teeth and gums healthy and protected, and to keep germs at bay. Don’t wait too long to replace your toothbrush. If you need to, make a note of the date you switched to a new brush to better remember when you need to replace it. We recommend changing brushes after four months of use or after an illness subsides. If you have questions about what toothbrush brands are best for you and your teeth, chat with us about it during your appointment and we’d be happy to give you a recommendation.