Probably silly question about Toothbrushes

[ajcire]

How often do you change your child's toothbrush? I am in process of trying to figure out if my ds has pandas and at the same time I got to thinking about ways to keep strep and other viruses away.... I was thinking that I needed to change his toothbrush and then got to wondering if I should be changing it way more often than I do. Probably a dumb question but figured I would see if anyone else had thought about this as a way that their child could be holding on to things...

[TiredMom]

How often do you change your child's toothbrush? I am in process of trying to figure out if my ds has pandas and at the same time I got to thinking about ways to keep strep and other viruses away.... I was thinking that I needed to change his toothbrush and then got to wondering if I should be changing it way more often than I do. Probably a dumb question but figured I would see if anyone else had thought about this as a way that their child could be holding on to things...

 

I don't think this is a dumb question. I've had the same train of thought as you. I change my daughter's toothbrush once a month if she's not sick, and also I run it through the santi cycle of my dishwasher as often as I can remember. I change toothbrushes more frequently if she is sick. It can't hurt, just another way of trying to prevent illness.

[EAMom]

I would also change toothbrushes a 3-4 days into a course of antibiotics.

 

Plus, I give each child their own toothpaste tube, since younger dd is a strep carrier. I changed toothpaste a few days into the course of antibiotics as well (you can buy the little travel size tubes if things are getting expensive!).

[ajcire]

Thanks... glad I wasn't sounding crazy! I had not even thought about that they touch the brush to the toothbrush when they do their toothpaste!

 

 

I would also change toothbrushes a 3-4 days into a course of antibiotics.

 

Plus, I give each child their own toothpaste tube, since younger dd is a strep carrier. I changed toothpaste a few days into the course of antibiotics as well (you can buy the little travel size tubes if things are getting expensive!).

[myrose]

I have to laugh because I too actually worry about the toothbrush. I pour peroxide on it after she brushes and let it stay on there until we are done showering. Then I just rinse it off. I change it alot as well I guess.

[EAMom]

The below is from this website: http://dentalresource.org/topics25.htm

 

A recent article published in Pediatric Dentistry discussed toothbrush contamination in a day care setting. The article concluded that toothbrushes can be adequately disinfected by soaking them either in a 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate solution (Peridex) for 20 hours, or in a 1 % sodium hypochlorite solution (1 part bleach, 4 parts water) for 20 hours.

 

(The article said a dishwasher would work too.)