If you have your toothbrush too close to the toilet,” microbiologist Charles Gerba, PhD, tells WebMD, “you are brushing your teeth with what’s in your toilet.” He explains that when you flush with the lid open, contaminated water vapor settles on surfaces in your bathroom. And that’s not the only way germs pollute your toothbrush.
The average toothbrush harbors 10 million microbes, including germs like influenza viruses, herpes simplex I, streptococcus, staphylococcus, as well as bacteria that cause gum disease and cavities. Because of the sheer variety of germs, they can harbor more pathogens than the average toilet seat. Some of these microscopic creepy crawlies can survive for days. “Your toothbrush is the perfect breeding ground for these bugs,” Dr. R. Tom Glass, professor emeritus of oral pathology at the University of Oklahoma tells USA Today. “There is food and water, and the brush itself provides the portal of entry into your body.” Basically, he says, “Your toothbrush is an enriched Petri dish on a stick.”
Your toothbrush has one of the dirtiest jobs in the house..
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