The Toothbrush Dilemma...

[Kayanne]

I found this blog entry....

 

http://luckythirteenandcounting.com/2009/0...ush-anyone.html

 

At first, I was like ewwwww.....but you have to read the few paragraphs below that explain it.

 

Well, I've been thinking a lot about this, and I'm going to modify it. I can't handle the idea of my kids brushing their teeth at the kitchen sink...imagine the "toothbrush spray" that gets on the mirrors suddenly getting on your dish drainer....not!

 

We have a drawer in the kids vanity, and with 4 kids, I think sixteen brushes should do....the dollar store sells them in packs of four, I'm not expecting them to last very long especially if I always put them in the dishwasher. Even if you don't have a drawer, a cute container with a lid would keep the brushes clean.

 

I have been using a suction holder that has larger openings with rubber flaps for the thicker handles (like a car cup holder), for the kids...and up till now it has been the best solution so far. However, there is always the white drips on the counter below; but I figured it's better than the sludge in the bottom a cup. The main problem with this holder has been that the kids brushes lean into each other, if they don't put them in straight.

 

Also, if I switch to this system, then I can stop hounding my kids to use their finger to get the paste out....and an added bonus....I will probably buy the "Touch-N-Brush" that my kids have been begging for.

 

I watch that commercial and I think to myself....whoever designed that thing has not has strep run rampant in their house.

 

So, I'm going to return the cup to the counter, and this time this is where the kids will put the dirty toothbrushes.

 

So, treat a toothbrush like a dish...have several, use it once and wash it. It's so brilliantly obvious that I wish I could take credit for it!

 

~Karen

[MomWithOCDSon]

I know it's going to sound archaic, but we don't have a dishwasher! We live in an older home, have had a kitchen reno on the schedule for the last several years, but with the economy, etc., have been reluctant to move forward now.

 

So, I've heard you can microwave most brushes? Anybody else heard about this?

 

Also, we use one of those Oral B electric brushes which has been great from the dentists' perspective, but the replacement brush heads are very expensive! I'd love to have a clear idea of how best to keep them as clean as possible!

[szcasey]

Karen,

 

I LOL about your comment on the Touch and Brush dispenser. My two kids would LOVE that germy device. Talk about effective marketing to children.

 

I also cannot imagine brushing teeth in the kitchen. And what about flossing?

 

We use a Braun Oral B electric tooth brush with rotating head. The holder also is a breeding ground for germs; I bleach it every day. I think I'll try washing the heads in the dishwasher and hope they won't melt. The heads aren't cheap. One advantage of the electric toothbrush (in our house anyway), is that my kids (7 yo and 10 yo) love the electric tooth brush. I don't have any trouble getting them to brush their teeth for two minutes.

 

I love the idea of putting the brushes in the dishwasher! Thanks for posting

[smartyjones]

we use the electric ones also. i like it for me and i think it may make up for the boys' still learning brushing habits. the heads are really expensive to replace often.

 

i've been interested in the UV sanitizer but haven't gotten one. anyone know anything about those?

[thereishope]

For some reason my PANDAS son and my older son like to put tooth brush covers on their tooth brushes. I can see someone saying that will breed bacteria, but if you wash those pretty frequently, I don't see how much trouble it would cause. Anyway, it keeps tooth brushes from touching each other.

 

If you microwave a toothbrush, I would make sure the bristles are pretty wet. You may be able to boil the toothbrush to kill bacteria. But if you're going to go through all of that, I'd just buy replacement ones.

 

Also, do you think it's okay to microwave the plastic? I mean, you don't ingest it, but I keep thinking how you're not suppose to eat food that has been microwaved in a plastic conatiner.

[Kayanne]

I know it's going to sound archaic, but we don't have a dishwasher!

 

I don’t think a dishwasher is necessary…how do you wash your dishes? If warm, soapy water is good enough for hands and dishes, it should be good enough for toothbrushes that are used only once by someone who isn’t sick. You could add an extra step of soaking them in very diluted bleach solution or peroxide, rinse, and then wash.

 

 

I also cannot imagine brushing teeth in the kitchen. And what about flossing?

 

Yeah, I didn’t see any floss in that picture. My oldest uses those plastic floss thingys for kids. The others’ teeth are still pretty spaced apart that I don’t really push them to do it. I plan on having a second container in the drawer with those things.

 

 

I would also like my kids to use the electric toothbrushes, but they don’t like the sensations

[ajcire]

I don't know.... even with the washing... I just need my own toothbrush and wouldn't let my kids share theirs..... I know it makes no sense since we use forks and other silverware that we then use the dishwasher for.... but nope.... toothbrushes are just too personal for me.... lol.. probably just my own issues.

[pixiesmommy]

We soak ours in hydrogen peroxide about every other day and change toothbrushes once a month, more if we are sick or suspect someone is sick/has strep.

[thereishope]

If you have a Meijer store by you, I saw they have those tooth brush sanitizers for $30. They come in pink and blue. It does specifically state that the light will kill strep.

[matis_mom]

If you have a Meijer store by you, I saw they have those tooth brush sanitizers for $30. They come in pink and blue. It does specifically state that the light will kill strep.

That's something I'd look into. But for now, each kid has a cup where they keep their toothbrush and a travel-size toothpaste of their own. It's 50 cents each at Walmart so I keep a stash and replace them whenever they are sick.