Did you know that your innocent looking toothbrush could be home to more than 100 million bacteria including E. coli and staphylococci (Staph) bacteria according to a UK study?

Your mouth is full of bacteria and if you have been unwell recently then viruses and bacteria can live for weeks on your toothbrush so every time you brush you could be making yourself poorly again. It could also be spreading onto your family’s toothbrushes, in turn, making them unwell.

If you keep your toothbrush next to your bathroom sink then you need to stop right now! In fact, throw it away and get a new one. Not only will your toothbrush have splashes of germs from handwashing but if anyone flushes the toilet you will be sending particles of faecal – yep poo, into the air and likely landing on your toothbrush.

We’re not suggesting you stop brushing your teeth just take some simple steps to take care of your toothbrush.

Here are our top tips for keeping your toothbrush clean

1) Replace your brush often, at least once every 3 months. Replacing your brush stops the germs from building up to undesirable levels.

2) Don’t keep your brush out in the open bathroom to avoid handwashing germs and toilet germs. Keep them either in your bathroom cupboard or airing cupboard.

3) Don’t store your family’s toothbrush together in the same cup holder. There are many individual holders now which stop the toothbrushes from coming into contact with one another. This will help minimise the chances of cross infection.

4) Make sure to give your toothbrush a good rinse after using. This will help to wash away any germy plaque and food deposits. It would also help to occasional soak your toothbrush in an antibacterial mouthwash occasionally.

5) Let your toothbrush dry out between uses. The germs in your mouth love a damp environment that’s why they do so well in your mouth. You can help your toothbrush to dry out by leaving it uncovered. Storing your toothbrush in a plastic bag or using a toothbrush cap could actually be more unhygienic then leaving it uncovered.

Regular visits to your dentist are essential to keep your mouth healthy…

Many parents may think that there is no need to take their child to the dentist until they start school. However, this is not the case and dental care should start long before this. Our Leicester dentists advise parents to take their child for their first check-up by the age of twelve months.

Preparing for a check-up

A little preparation can make a huge difference to your child when going to the dentist. Try to promote going to the dentist as a fun thing to do and do not let your child detect that you are nervous or anxious about seeing the dentist. Try to be very positive when talking to your child even if you, as a parent, suffer from dental anxiety; your child will notice if you seem tense or anxious and this will affect them.

Talk your child through what is going to happen when they go to the dentist; it is also helpful to read stories about going to the dentist with your child. If your child is a little emotional and tense, sit with them and reassure them constantly. You will find that your dentist and the staff at the dental practice will make every effort to interact with your child and make their experience a positive one.

Oral health for children

It is really beneficial to introduce your child to their dentist early on and making sure you see a dentist that you feel confident in. Taking them for regular check-ups will get them used to going to the dentists and this will help to prevent them from suffering from dental anxiety when they are older, as well as reducing the risk of them developing oral health problems.

Try to encourage your child to adopt a healthy attitude towards oral health from an early age; encourage them to get involved in oral hygiene, set a good example for them to follow and keep an eye on what they eat and drink. Talk to your child about healthy eating and the effects of drinking and eating sugary foods and drinks on the teeth. We at Smile Essential Dental Practice in Leicester are fortunate enough to have oral health educators at the practice who are always happy to help.

If you are having trouble persuading your child to clean their teeth, try to make teeth cleaning fun by making up games, setting challenges and buying oral hygiene products which are specially designed for children. Many toothbrushes are decorated with bright colours and pictures of popular cartoon and film characters which are more attractive for children.

Find out more about children’s dental care…

Dentists, as well as many other medical professionals, have been campaigning for the Government to give boys aged between 12 and 13 in England the vaccine against the human papilloma virus (HPV). HPV causes around 2500 cases of cancer in males every year in the UK, including the mouth, throat, anal, and penile cancers.

We are pleased to report that the UK Government’s scientific advisors have finally listened, and have recommended expansion of Human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination programme to cover school-age boys.

More than 30 people in Britain are diagnosed with oral cancers every day, with incidence rates increasing by 23% over the last decade. It is one of the fastest rising types of cancer and has a higher incidence among men.

This vaccine has been around for about a decade and has been routinely given to girls to reduce various types of genital cancer – predominantly cervical. Figures from Public Health England show that the rate of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) in women aged between 16 to 21 who were vaccinated between 2010 and 2016 has fallen by 86 per cent. The same types of HPV that infect the genital areas can infect the mouth and throat.

Most unvaccinated people will be infected with some type of HPV at some time in their life. In most cases, the virus does not do any harm because their immune system clears the infection. But in some cases, the infection stays in the body for many years and then, for no apparent reason, it may start to cause damage.

What is HPV?

HPV is the name given to a very common group of viruses. There are many types of HPV, some of which are called “high risk” because they’re linked to the development of cancers. Other types can cause conditions like warts or verrucas. HPV infections do not usually cause any symptoms, and most people will not know they’re infected.

The leading cause of oropharyngeal cancer is from HPV, a very small number of oral cavity cancers also occur from HPV. The HPV family contains almost 200 strains, and it is one of the most common viruses. It is important to understand that of all these, only nine are associated with cancers. Of the nine that are high risk, only one is strongly associated with oropharyngeal cancer, HPV16.

How does the HPV vaccine work?

Currently, the national NHS HPV vaccination programme uses a vaccine called Gardasil.

Gardasil protects against 4 types of HPV: 6, 11, 16 and 18. Between them, types 16 and 18 are the cause of most cervical cancers in the UK (more than 70%).

HPV types 6 and 11 cause nearly all cases of genital warts (90%), so using Gardasil helps protect against some form of cancers and genital warts.

It’s important to understand that the HPV vaccination does not protect against other sexually transmitted infections.

Further reading can be found: 

Government News

The Guardian -Teenage boys to be vaccinated against cancer-causing HPV 

The Telegraph – HPV vaccine has almost wiped out infections in young women, figures show

NHS – HPV vaccine information

August 6 is the annual celebration of Fresh Breath Day dedicated to commemorating oral hygiene and its importance. Our Leicester dentists understand the importance of not just oral hygiene but of celebrating this day and using it to enhance and improve your oral hygiene as you would other important parts of your health.

Fresh Breath day is a great opportunity every year to celebrate and remember your oral health, taking care of your teeth, maintaining fresh breath and great dental and oral hygiene.

Bacteria can be found in the mouth and contribute to bad oral hygiene so you need to understand this, know how to combat it and make the best of your oral hygiene. Leicester dentists advise using this day to store up on the important dental products most people forget about. This is a big change this day can make for you.

There are 3 main reasons why people suffer from bad breath. First of all, it can just come down to what you eat garlic, onions and coffee are all known to cause a stench. Then there’s dental hygiene. Many people think that brushing their teeth twice a day is enough to keep bad breath at bay, but they’re wrong. Over a third of your tooth surfaces are in between the teeth so if you’re not flossing then you are leaving behind plaque and food which is going to breed bacteria and cause a pong. Lastly, bad breath can be caused by an underlying medical cause for that, such as throat, nose or lung infections and sinusitis, bronchitis or diabetes.

You can be fresh breath confident by doing the following:

• Visit your dentist and hygienist regularly. They can carry out any hygiene work that’s’ required or look at an underlying problem.

• Eat a healthy balanced diet, including lots of veggies as it helps to promote a more alkaline environment, so the bad-breath-causing acid in your body balances out.

• Stay hydrated. Drinking water throughout the day will help your mouths own cleansing abilities to avoid your breath turning stagnant and saliva sticky.

• Brush, floss and clean your tongue every single day. Remove as much plaque build-up and food debris as possible from all areas of your mouth, not just the teeth surfaces reached with a toothbrush.

• Chew sugarless gum or mints which contain xylitol. Chewing gum increases salivary flow and helps remove some bacteria and staining, but you want to make it’s sugar-free so you’re not feeding the bacteria in your mouth and contributing to bad breath. Opt for a brand that contains the sweetener xylitol, which is antibacterial. It helps fight cavities and bacteria while improving the health of your teeth and gums.

• Do not smoke. Smoking not only dries out your mouth and body tissues, the nicotine actually squeezes the blood vessels so you’re not getting healthy saliva flow. This combo is what disrupts your mouth’s normal functioning process and leads to bad breath.

Are you worried about bad breath? Call us now on 0116 2891317 for expert guidance and information.