Effectivity of Simple Decontamination Procedures for Toothbrushes

Normally toothbrushes are only rinsed and allowed to dry by itself after usage. In poor and rural communities toothbrushes are often shared and running water for proper rinsing of brushes is not available. In families where toothbrushes are shared and the potential transfer of micro-organisms from one individual to another is possible, a simple disinfecting procedure may be advisable. Objectives: This study determined the effectiveness of toothbrush decontamination using simple affordable methods. Methods: In phase one, 32 new toothbrushes (4 different brands – Colgate, Oral B, Clicks, Jordan) were contaminated deliberately with known concentrations of Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 12575), Escherichia coli (ATCC 10536) Enterococcus feacalis (ATCC 49474) and Candida albicans (ATCC 10231). The contaminated brushes were then decontaminated in an ultrasonic waterbath by rinsing them with one of the following agents: Savlon, Protex soap, Lifebouy soap, Sunlight soap, TCP, NaHOCl, water. A control group was contaminated and left to dry, without any rinsing. Contamination of the brushes was determined by rinsing the brushes in an ultrasonic waterbath with sterile Ringers solution and plating dilution series onto selective agar. The toothbrushes were then mounted in a device and brushed continuously against a rough surface until visible wear of the brushes and jagging of the bristles were observed. In a second phase exactly the same procedure of contamination, decontamination and measuring decontamination was applied with the 32 used toothbrushes. Results: Variable degrees of decontamination were observed on the different brands of brushes and with all the different agents. NaHOCl was exceptionally effective as decontamination agent. Some of the decontamination agents had the same effectivity as normal rinsing with water and allowing to dry. Conclusion: Simple decontamination of toothbrushes using NaHOCl is highly effective and decontamination with other normal household agents gives variable results.