Toothbrush contamination in family members

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the bacterial contamination of toothbrushes in family members. Materials and Methods: One hundred and two healthy subjects were included in this descriptive study. Every individual was examined clinically and microbiologically using the CPITN index and collecting subgingival plaque samples. Each participant received a toothbrush for home use and after one month they returned it to the investigators. All toothbrushes were cultured to determine the presence of periodontopathic bacteria and enteric rods. Wilkoxon signed rank test and t student test (P ≤0.05) were used to compare differences in the subgingival microbiota and toothbrush contamination and CPITN index among family members. Results: A high proportion of toothbrushes resulted highly contaminated with enteric rods (P ≤0.001) compared to the subgingival environment where periodontopathic bacteria were more prevalent. The most frequent microorganisms found in toothbrushes used by parents and children for one month were Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae species (>50%) and Fusobacterium spp (30%). Conclusions: High levels of enteric rods were commonly detected in toothbrushes used for 1 month among members of the families. These opportunistic organisms may have an important role in oral infections including gingivitis and periodontitis. Monthly replacement or disinfection of the toothbrush can reduce the risk of bacterial transmission/translocation and thus diminish the incidence of biofilm associated oral diseases.

Comparison of bacterial contamination and antibacterial efficacy in bristles of charcoal toothbrushes versus noncharcoal toothbrushes: A microbiological study

“…About 95% of tooth loss in humans are caused by dental caries and periodontal disease. [ 1 ] Several microorganisms have been implicated in the pathogenesis and perpetuation of these important oral diseases. [ 2 3 4 ] Intraoral transmission (translocation) of microorganisms can occur, and therefore, infect sites that were previously treated by scaling and root planning.…”

“…[ 2 3 4 ] Intraoral transmission (translocation) of microorganisms can occur, and therefore, infect sites that were previously treated by scaling and root planning. [ 1 ] Moreover, several studies have found that cariogenic and periodontopathic bacteria can be transmitted by means of dental instruments, dental floss, and toothbrush. [ 5 6 7 ] The concept that toothbrushes are contaminated, after use, was proposed as early as 1920 by Cobb, who implicated that the contaminated toothbrush as a cause of repeated infections of the mouth.…”

“…The toothbrush can harbor a variety of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, facilitating translocation and transmission of these organisms. [ 1 ] Previously, it was demonstrated that a actinomycetemcomitans and herpes simplex virus Type I, survived at least for 3 days on toothbrushes, and Enterobacter cloacae could survive for 16 days. [ 9 ] A more recent study demonstrated that periodontopathic organisms and super-infecting Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonadaceae species were cultured from toothbrushes in patients with destructive periodontitis and by this way might facilitate bacterial transmission and translocation.…”

The Use of High - Sucrose Culture Media for the Identification of Oral Streptococci in Infant- Mother Pairs

“…It has also been proven that the source in most cases is mother's oral microbiota * email: cristina.bica@umftgm.ro; Phone: +40-723-180682 due to most intimate relationship with the infant in the first two years of life. Another source of vertical transmission toothbrush can also be considered, if they are kept in the same toothbrush [3,4].…”