Most dentists, and the American Dental Association (ADA), recommend changing your toothbrush every 3 months. Overtime, toothbrushes go through normal wear and tear and become less effective with removing plaque from teeth and gums. Studies have found that around 3 months is when the bristles break down and lose effectiveness. One other consideration we don’t typically think about (and probably don’t like to think about) is that germs can hide and build up in toothbrush bristles. This makes it important to replace your toothbrush after you’ve had a cold, or risk possible reinfection.

If knowing that bacteria and fungus accumulates on your toothbrush bristles overtime isn’t enough reason to replace your toothbrush more often, there are also a number of other risks and uninviting issues involved with not replacing your toothbrush. One risk includes damaging your gums, as old toothbrushes become ineffective with removing plaque from your teeth, which leads to gingivitis. Left untreated, gingivitis leads to infection, which can cause teeth to fall out.

Even more unappealing, you can get sick from overused toothbrushes (see: bacteria and fungus build up), your toothbrush can grow mold, or possibly the least appealing, you can ingest unwanted particles if stored near a toilet.

Conclusion:

Ask your dentist during your next dental checkup and cleaning for recommendations about what you should be buying based off your individual needs, your particular dental health state, etc.