Strep Throat: Don’t Toss the Toothbrush

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Strep throat is a disease that causes sore throat and makes it hard to swallow. It is a common bacterial infection in the throat and tonsils. The throat gets irritated and inflamed and causes sudden severe sore throat.  It is common in children and adults between ages 5 to 15, although anyone can get it and it also affects people of all ages. This infection is caused by a germ called Group A Streptococcus bacteria. Strep throat is commonly spread in family members. It transfers from person to person through droplets from cough, nose or saliva.

It is important to identify and treat the strep throat for a number of reasons. If untreated, strep throat can sometimes cause complications such as kidney inflammation and rheumatic fever. Doctors often recommend treating their patients with antibiotics and sometimes doctors suggest getting a new toothbrush after you are no longer contagious, but before finishing the antibiotics. Otherwise the bacteria can live in the toothbrush and re-infect you when the antibiotics are done.

Also, keep your family toothbrushes and utensils separate, unless they have been washed. Logic also predicts that tossing a toothbrush after a bout of strep throat is a good. It also seems to be a good idea to get a new toothbrush after a bout of strep throat. Have you ever been told to throw out toothbrush, if you have had strep throat? The theory behind getting a new toothbrush is that strep would contaminate your toothbrush and you would get re-infected once you finished your antibiotics. But new study proved that it’s perhaps not necessary.

A study was conducted by University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston in which it was proved that you might not need to throw out your toothbrush after recovery from a strep throat after all. Recently this study was also presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC.New researches indicates that You don’t need to toss your toothbrush if you have been diagnosed with strep throat.

After a research it was indicated that although the toothbrushes grew common mouth bacteria, strep bacteria only grew on one of the toothbrushes and it was from a participant who did not have strep throat. This study supports that it is probably unnecessary to throw away your toothbrush after diagnosis of strep throat.

American dental association recommends that it is important to throw away your toothbrush after every three or four months and even more frequently if the bristles become frayed or you are sick. It was also reported that although toothbrush sanitizer can kill germs but there is no real proof that they can help you from getting sick.

Simply after brushing your teeth, clean your toothbrush. After brushing rinse your toothbrush thoroughly with tap water to ensure the removal of toothpaste and debris, allow it to air dry, and store it in an upright position.

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1 Comment

  1. Hello all ~

    Very interesting article. Indeed, the toothbrush is a nest for bacteria, especially in the warm and humcomment_ID environment of our bathrooms… Bacteria double every 20 minutes and can reaching up to millions of germs on your toothbrush. You then re-infect yourself the next time you brush your teeth. Also, depending on how you store your toothbrush, the risk of cross-contamination is high.

    That is why an antibacterial toothbrush can help tremendously diminish the risk of cross-contamination and eliminate re-infection. Silver, which a natural antibacterial that inhibit bacteria cell respiratory system, is embedded in the bristles of this toothbrush (not coated or sprayed). Within 6 hours, your brush is proven to be 99.9% bacteria free !

    Smile 🙂

    The Tooth Fairy

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