Evaluation of contamination levels of toothbrushes kept in different locations in home environment

Bacteria form an important group of micro-organisms found in both healthy and diseased mouths. There have been more than 300 types of bacteria found in the mouth. There is evidence that toothbrushes in regular use can be heavily contaminated with microorganisms, depending upon storage conditions, the toothbrush can serve as a reservoir for reintroduction of potential pathogens such as Streptoccocusmutans.

The aim of the present study was to determine and compare the level of microbial contamination of tooth brushes placed inside and outside the bathroom.

A simple random selection of ten children was taken for the present study. Each individual was given two new toothbrushes of the same type and brand along with identical tube of fluoridated toothpaste and a tooth brush stand. The subjects were asked to follow their usual oral hygiene practices and were instructed to place one of the tooth brushes inside the bathroom and the other outside it. After a three week period the toothbrushes were collected and assayed for microbial contamination using a range of selective growth media.

The findings of the present study suggested that, the tooth brushes placed inside the bathroom tend to be more contaminated than the ones placed outside the bathroom.