Dental professionals do not recommend re-using the same piece of dental floss for up to three months or more, but it is common practice to re-use a toothbrush even though rinsing it in water is the traditional method of cleaning it.

Don’t forget the bathroom is the most germ-laden room in the house, and rinsing your toothbrush is helpful, but organisms are left alive and active, and cross infection becomes an issue in families or shared accommodation when several toothbrushes are stored in a single container; research has shown that infections can transfer from one toothbrush to the next.

The organisms that have been found on toothbrushes that have not been cleansed with Brushtox are bacteria causing tooth decay and gum disease, along with serious infections such as herpes simplex virus, oral thrush; gastro-enteritis and acute ulcerative gingivitis, and can lead to upper respiratory infections, coughs, colds and sore throats.