How often should you replace a toothbrush?
Reviewed
The short answer
every 3 months
Every three months. Past that the bristles splay and round over, so they slide across the tooth instead of reaching into the gum line where plaque settles.
The same interval applies to an electric brush head.
How to tell without counting
Many brushes have coloured bristles that fade as they wear. Failing that, a brush whose bristles spread past the outline of the head has done its time.
A brush that flattens within three weeks is saying something else: the brushing is too firm, which wears enamel and pushes the gum back.
When to replace it early
After a throat infection, flu or any mouth infection, a new brush avoids reintroducing what you have just got over. A brush dropped in the basin, or stored touching other heads, is replaced too.
Storage matters
Rinsed, shaken and stood head-up in the open air, a brush dries between uses. A closed travel cap or a damp beaker does the opposite.
Common questions
Soft, medium or hard bristles?
Dentists generally recommend soft: it removes as much plaque as a hard brush without wearing enamel or receding the gum. The grade is printed on the handle or the pack.
Do electric brush heads last longer?
No, the same three months. Some heads carry a fading wear indicator, and many handles count brushing time to flag it.
What about after a course of antibiotics?
The usual advice is to change the brush once the infection has cleared, for the same reason as after flu: the head has been in contact with it throughout.
This reminder, in IAlwaysForget
« replace the toothbrush every 3 months »
- Understood as
- Recurring reminder
- Comes back
- every 3 months