The important message here is that you should replace your toothbrush or electric toothbrush head every 3 months. At this point bristles will be beginning to brush less effectively and bacteria will be building up.

How many toothbrushes are thrown away in the UK each year?
With estimates that 200 million+ toothbrushes could be thrown away every year in the UK we thought it would be fun (and useful) to look at ways your old toothbrush can be put to good use.

What are the uses for an old toothbrush or electric toothbrush head?

1. - Grout Cleaning Tool – old toothbrushes are ideal to help to revitalise discoloured grout between tiles, just make a paste from some baking soda and water and scrub.Bike Maintenance a toothbrush is just the right size to get into the little places on a bike – particularly the chain.
2. - Precision Nail Brush – one of the most popular suggestions and uses seems to be to be for getting hard to shift dirt and grime from under finger nails (but do remember to boil, bleach or pop it in the dishwasher first).
3. - Fish Tank Cleaner – ideal for scrubbing away the green algae from the corners of the tanks or for cleaning accessories.
4. - Jewellery Revitaliser – ideal for cleaning intricate pieces of jewellery especially when combined with the right polish for your metal.
5. - IT Maintenance – a toothbrush is great for getting rid of dust or crumbs inbetween the keys of a keyboard and can be used to clean up your other devices such as phones and tablets that also tend to suffer from a build up of dirt.
6. - Pet Grooming – lots of people apparently use old toothbrushes for cleaning pets paws and claws.
7. - Stain Removal – when used with a suitable cleaner a toothbrush is perfect for honing in on stains on clothes or carpets.

If you have any queries regarding your oral health don't hesitate to visit us at Kilbarchan Dental Practice, call us on 01505 704969. You’ll find lots more free tips and advice including articles on oral health regimes in our archive of articles. Check out our Top 5 tips for healthy teeth and How Should I Brush My Teeth?.