Sonicare and E. Coli?

New University Study Shows E. Coli, Mold and High Amounts of Other Bacteria Growing in Electric Toothbrushes; In Some Cases, Over 100 Times More Bacteria than their Manual Counterparts

Some of you may have recently heard the buzz about this study, where a University of Arizona study compared the bacterial contamination of manual vs. electric toothbrushes. The result was that electric toothbrushes contained 100 times the amount of bacteria than that of their manual counterpart.

Does this mean you should throw out your beloved Sonicare???? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

First and foremost, E. Coli for the most part is harmless, and is a part of our normal bacterial flora. In fact, E. Coli normally colonizes an infants gastrointestinal tract within 40 hours of birth! However, through the natural biological process of mutation, some strains can evolve into the nasty pathogenic strains that we see plastered all over the news.

For those of you who own Sonicare's, I'm sure you have all looked under the head to see that nasty goop that often builds up over time. That...my friends, is the result of oral bacteria colonizing in the dark damp crevices of your toothbrush! Now, don't panic. This doesn't mean that you're going to die from E. Coli contamination - just follow a few simple procedures to make sure your brush head is always clean.

1.) If the underside of the head is really slimy and dirty - switch it out.

2.) After each use, simply unscrew the head and rinse it under clean running water for 10-20 seconds.

3.) Dip it in Listerine or any other antiseptic mouthwash.

4.) If you've got a steam or UV sterilizer...use it.

5.) Shake it dry.

That's it! HAPPY BRUSHING!