Toothbrush Germs
October 27, 2009
July 27, 2007 — Not long ago, the Discovery Channel Network aired an episode of its continuing show called “Myth Busters”. The show features two guys who investigate the truths and untruths behind urban legends. On one edition of the show, they tried to debunk the claim that toothbrushes are rife with germs, especially fecal germs. Conducting their own investigation, they tested the claim that nasty germs jump from toilets to toothbrushes by either airborne or direct contamination. They tested 24 toothbrushes and 2 controls that they themselves used for 30 days. The result? Of the 24 toothbrushes, all 24 tested positive for poop germs- that’s 100%. Even the 2 control toothbrushes they stored in the kitchen cabinet tested positive for fecal germs!
Can these germs make you sick? Absolutely.
A Professor of Risk Analysis from Harvard University School of Public Health had this to say, “It may surprise you- or sicken you- to know that if your toothbrush is stored near the toilet, the chances are great that it is covered with E.coli bacteria. Each time you flush the toilet, bacteria disperse in the air in the form of tiny particles”. Researchers at Harvard University also believe that chronic infection, such as periodontal disease
causes inflammation that often goes unnoticed by patients (internal inflammation is symptomless and is often impossible to detect).
Scientists at the University of Buffalo believe that the chemicals produced by the immune system’s reaction to periodontal disease – the inflammatory response – spill over into the bloodstream through cuts in the gums. Then the chemicals
make their way to the liver to produce proteins that inflame the arterial walls and clot the blood. Atherosclerosis and, ultimately, heart attack may result.
In spite of all the evidence, some people try and fool themselves into thinking that these things aren’t true or that they don’t apply to their toothbrushes. But make no mistake; your toothbrush is like a toilet brush, a bacterial hot-zone filled with all kinds of disgusting germs. You can be sure that allowing these germs to enter your mouth and bloodstream each day is harmful to your long-term health.
The antimicrobial, antiviral, antiseptic and antibacterial properties of The Original Toothbrush spray are specially formulated to keep your toothbrush free from bacteria, viruses and mold.