The Toothbrush Paper Essay, Research Paper

The Toothbrush Paper

There are few things in this world more disgusting than kissing a monkey, but believe it or not swapping spit with Bobo the circus chimp is actually safer than sharing a toothbrush with your significant other. The mouth has more than 500 kinds of bacteria. In the right conditions bacteria can live on your toothbrush for up to a week. By sharing a toothbrush, participants introduce foreign microorganisms into their bloodstream. When a foreign microorganism is introduced, and the receiver has no immunities, depending on the type, the bacteria can cause a range of medical problems. More importantly, every time one brushes their gums they are lacerated. Though every case is different dependent on the health of the individual with whom one is sharing, anytime there is blood involved there is a risk of transmitting hepatitis B, hepatitis C, meningococcal meningitis, and AIDS (Caudry, 1998). I found it alarming that over half of the class has shared a toothbrush in the last six months. I plan to discuss the dangers, provide alternatives, and persuade readers to think twice before sharing a toothbrush.

“Your toothbrush is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. In effect, your toothbrush is an enriched petri dish on a stick (Glass, 1998).” The kinds of bacteria found on toothbrushes can cause anything from a simple cold sore to the actual rotting of gum tissue (Ramli, 1999). The types of bacteria found on a toothbrush vary from person to person depending on previous meals, time between brushings, habits (i.e. smoking, nail biting, drug use), and overall health. Some of the more common types of bacteria found are herpes simplex, streptococcus, staphylococcus, candida, gingivalis and bacteroides (Ruff, 1996). The herpes simplex bacteria are the microorganisms most easily transferred between individuals. Although the presence of a simple cold sore may not persuade one to stop sharing a toothbrush, the sore is proof that bacteria can be transferred between sharers. The streptococcus bacterium causes strep throat, staphylococcus is attributed to staph infections, bacteroides are the leading cause of halitosis (bad breath), and gingivalis is the bacteria responsible for gingivitis (Ruff, 1996). Gingivitis causes inflammation of the gums and if not properly taken care of gingivitis can lead to periodontal disease (gum disease). The actual severity of periodontal disease is more easily comprehended in figure 1 (http://www.ada.org/public/faq/cleaning.html).

Figure 1.

Probably the most overlooked consequence of sharing a toothbrush is the possible risk factor of transmitting infectious disease. As previously stated, every time one brushes the gums are lacerated and whether or not blood is visible, both bacteria and traces of blood are transferred. Therefore, as with any activity that results in the exchange of bodily fluid, sharing a toothbrush is a risk factor for transmitting hepatitis B, hepatitis C, meningococcal meningitis, and AIDS (Caudry, 1995). A growing epidemic, hepatitis C, already infects three times more people than does AIDS. It is responsible for one-third of all liver transplants and currently infects more than 4.5 million Americans (Kiger, 2000). AIDS really needs no explanation; with no cure it is the Black Plague of the future. With only 300,000 cases, meningococcal meningitis and hepatitis B are less prevalent than hepatitis C, but are a growing concern because of the number of cases among college students due to accidental contamination of toothbrushes in dormitories and off-campus housing (Loos, 2000). Although the diagnoses of these diseases are rarely directly contributed to sharing a toothbrush, and the traces of blood transferred between individuals is insignificant, sharing a toothbrush is still recognized by the American Dental Association as a risk factor for transmitting disease.

As medical and dental circles are now finding, brushing one s teeth is probably the most self-contaminating thing one will do repeatedly on a daily basis throughout most of their lives. There are many weapons in the battle to destroy the bacteria and microorganisms breeding on a person s toothbrush and prevent cross contamination between individuals. Clearly marking toothbrushes can help make them more distinguishable reducing confusion between roommates and lowering the risk of accidental contamination. The American Dental Association recommends changing toothbrushes every three months, emphasizing the fact that the more often a person replaces his/her toothbrush the less likely they are to be susceptible to infections caused by the exchange of foreign bacteria found when others use their toothbrush (http://www.ada.org/public/faq/cleaning.html). Some dentists suggest having two or three toothbrushes. Not only does this allow a person to dispose of a brush contaminated by someone else, it also allows the person to cycle their toothbrushes allowing proper drying time between uses. This prevention method has been proven to lower the amount of bacteria by half (Ramli, 1999).

If sharing a toothbrush is a vital part of your everyday life, there are many safe procedures for disinfecting a toothbrush. Keep in mind that in order to protect the person you are sharing with from the virus causing bacteria found on your toothbrush, you must disinfect it before and after every use. Some disinfecting procedures include, a chlorhexidine gluconate bath, soaking the toothbrush in a sodium hypochlorite solution, the use of ultra violet light, and even running it through the dishwasher. A new disinfecting/decontaminating spray called brushtox has been introduced in efforts to control infection by killing 95% of infectious bacteria after every use (Cauldry, 1999). Costing as much as $200, ultra violet light systems (show in figure 2) and other procedures for disinfecting toothbrushes are considered by some as costly and unnecessary. It suggests that simply using your own toothbrush and replacing it every three months is sufficient (Cauldry, 1999).

Figure 2.

Many people feel that sharing a toothbrush improves the intimacy of a close relationship and can be a sign of true love. Many people don t consider the consequences when they re looking for a quick remedy to cure their temporary bad breath. The fact of the matter is, sharing a toothbrush is the single most contaminating thing a person will do on a day-to-day basis. When sharing a toothbrush, participants introduce foreign microorganisms into their bloodstream, and depending on the circumstances, these bacteria can be a risk factor for transmitting infectious disease. It would be unfortunate if a beautiful relationship resulted in the transmission of a deadly disease instead of happy marriage. Even more tragic is the idea of a life long reminder of the night you used a friend s toothbrush because you had bad breath.

References

1. Caudry SD. (1995) Contaminated Toothbrushes and Their Disinfection. Journal of the Canadian Dental Association. 511-516.

2. Glass, Richard T. (1998). Toothbrush Contamination. Journal of the American Dental Association 129.

3. Kiger, Michele. (2000). Hepatitis C. American Society for Microbiology Case Study.

4. Marcari S, Faria G, Assed S. (2000). Microbial Contamination of Toothbrushes and Their Decontamination Dental Health Journal 23.

5. Ramli R. (1998).Toothbrush Contamination. Australian Dental Journal 368.

6. Ruff, Gary. (1996, November). Sharing Disease. Newsweek, pp.15-20.

7. Loos, Kim. Can your toothbrush make you sick? [on-line] 7 Oct. 2000.

8. Rippin, John. Toothbrushes, a risk factor in the transmitting disease. [on-line] 9 Jan. 2001 http://www.dentalsurgeons.co.uk/dentalinfo/gum_disease/toothbrush_hygiene.html

9. American Dental Association. Cleaning your teeth and gums. [on-line]. 12 Sep. 2000.