Bathroom hygiene – A fresh smell of good health!

Maintaining a good bathroom hygiene can save you from the clutches of many germs and viruses.

A good bathroom hygiene should be a habit throughout the year but it becomes more of a concern when droplet infections like COVID-19 are creating a havoc in the entire world.
You can contact the virus very easily simply by touching any surface harbouring it and a good oral hygiene routine can help you protect yourself from such nasty viruses that keep us home.

According to a US study, 60% of the toothbrushes found in communal bathrooms tested positive of faecal coliform bacteria. Also research suggests that COVID-19 is spread through aerosol from the faecal matter generated by toilet flushing which is responsible for 30% of the current cases.

Here are a few practical tips that you can easily follow at your home and keep the virus at bay by minimizing ant type of cross-contamination :

• Sharing is caring, but not in the case of your toothbrush.Sharing of toothbrush is equal to sharing of germs.

• No matter how intimate you are with a person, sharing of your toothbrush is never a good idea even when there is no risk of cross-contamination.
• Don’t store toothbrushes of all the family members together and consider storing them outside the bathroom if possible.

• Wash your hands before and after brushing your teeth.
• Keep your toothbrush in a clean container.
• Make sure that your toothbrush does not contain any residue by rinsing it thoroughly under hot water faucet.
• If you store your toothbrush in a container with a disinfectant or mouthwash, be sure to use a new solution each day.
• Consider using a toothbrush sanitizer if possible.
• Don’t use closed container to store your toothbrushes.
• Store it upright and allow it to dry.
• Do not use caps or covers for your toothbrush as moist environment are more conducive to the growth of unwanted germs than open air.
• Store them vertically with bristles upwards and make sure they are not close to your toilet.

• Consider using an antimicrobial mouthwash before you brush in order to reduce the level of bacteria in your mouth so that you don’t transfer them to your toothbrush.
• Switch out your toothbrush after this coronavirus crisis as toothbrushes act as a breeding ground for micro-organisms and can act as a carrier for re-infection.
• Sanitize your bathroom as often as possible.

With these small considerations we might be able to give a tough fight to this global pandemic and emerge as a stronger, healthier tribe.

Toothache is the last thing you would want in this time when your dentist is available only for emergency treatments. Here are a few tips for prevention of gingivitis and toothache:

• Brush your teeth at least twice a day.

• If you can, brush after every meal or at least gargle that frequent.

• Replace your toothbrush time to time, keep one extra toothbrush with you.

• Floss daily.

• Intake of Vitamin C rich food.

• Use a natural mouthwash.

• Refrain from smoking or chewing tobacco.

• Limit sugar intake.