Microbial Contamination of Toothbrushes

Methods of toothbrushing are amply described, but procedures for maintaining their cleanliness are discussed infrequently. The puropse of this study was to evaluate the level of microbial contamination of toothbrushes. Methods & Materials: The study has been done in a descriptive, retrospective, analytical way. Information about the methods of toothbrush care were obtained by a questionnaire filled by 100 individuals. Toothbrushes were gathered and examined in two culture media Blood agar for gram positive microorganisms and E.M.B for gram negative microorganisms. All surfaces of a toothbrush was separately pulled three times on two culture media. Then culture media were incubated in 37ºC and were read in three stages: 24, 48, 72 hours by eye and microscope. Level of microbial contamination were divided into three groups on the basis of colony count. Low contamination: colonies < 10000, moderate contamination: 10000 – 30000, high contamination: > 30000. Statistical analysis in this study were as follows: 1- Chi – square for trends, 2- Fisher exact test, 3- Spearman correlation coefficient and 4 – Mann – whitney test. Overall 96% of toothbrushes were contaminated. Some variables such as type of toothbrushes, frequency of toothbrushing, time of toothbrush usage had no effect on CFU (Coloni forming unit). However, location of toothbrush for example toilet or bathroom, washing and drying method, use of cover after toothbrushing, oral hygiene had relationship with CFU. (P<0.05) Toothbrushes in regular use can become heavily contaminated with microorganisms. Storage conditions and skill in washing and toothbrush care are effective in reducing the level of their contamination.