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Doctor Says We Need To Wash Toothbrushes

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Author Melany Myers
Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Are you washing your toothbrushes daily with soap and water? If not, you need to start. That’s according to a doctor’s video on TikTok that is going viral. According to Men’s Journal, Dr. Joe Whittington is an ER doctor who has more than 1.8 million followers TikTok. Recently he posted a video explaining why everyone needs to be cleaning their toothbrush with soap and water after using it.

woman using hand soap in bathroom

Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Dr. Whittington says washing your toothbrush helps more than just your oral health. The doctor says that studies show that bacteria in your mouth may be linked to your heart health. In addition to reducing the number of bacteria and plaque buildup in your mouth, washing your toothbrush with soap and water can help you avoid heart failure and other heart related issues.

Many of us have heard similar theories. I’ve always heard that flossing can help prevent heart health. I use an electric toothbrush, and I’ve heard that making sure you change the head of the brush often can also help with bacteria.

Wash Your Toothbrushes Thoroughly

If you believe Dr. Whittington’s claims, you need to make sure you wash all the soap off your brush. Any soap residue will taste nasty and can also cause irritation in your mouth. You don’t want to smile with soap bubbles in your mouth!

The doctor also offers some other healthy tips in regard to your toothbrush. If you’re sick with strep throat or another illness like the flu, the doctor says you should throw your toothbrush away after the illness goes away and get a new one. If you’re like me and use an electric toothbrush, change the brush head after an illness. Since I have autoimmune issues, I always make sure to do this.

Another tip the doctor says can improve your health is to give your toothbrush a deep cleaning by soaking it in hydrogen peroxide or antibacterial mouthwash once a week. This I don’t do but will start!

@drjoe_md

Washing your toothbrush with soap and water each night can significantly reduce the accumulation of bacteria, viruses, and fungi on its bristles and handle. This practice helps prevent the introduction of bacteria, viruses and fungi in the mouth. Also, recent studies have suggested a link between oral bacteria and cardiovascular health, indicating that maintaining oral hygiene might also contribute to heart health. So, a clean toothbrush is more effective at removing plaque, which is crucial not only for dental health but potentially for preventing cardiovascular disease as well. It’s important to thoroughly rinse the toothbrush to remove any soap before use to ensure safety. #dental #hearthealth #healthtips #healthyliving #doctor

♬ original sound - Dr. Joe, M.D. 🩺

 

These 8 Healthy Habits Could Add Decades To Your Life

Can you imagine actually adding years to your life? I’m not talking about one or two years. According to CNN, new research shows that it’s possible to add a couple of decades to your life. Adopting eight healthy habits at the age of 40 could add up to 24 extra years to your life. If you start by the time you’re 50, you could still extend your life by up to 21 years. Even if you don’t do it until 60, you could gain almost 18 years if you add all eight of the lifestyle choices.

A new health study analyzed data on more than 700,000 U.S. military veterans and the findings were presented in Boston on July 24th at Nutrition 2023, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition. “There’s a 20-year period in which you can make these changes, whether you do it gradually or all at once,“ says lead study author Xuan-Mai Nguyen. “The earlier the better, but even if you only make a small change in your 40s, 50s or 60s, it still is beneficial.”

Adding just one healthy behavior at age 40 could add 4.5-years to a man’s life and 3.5-years to a woman’s life. Adopting additional habits adds more years and doing all eight gives you an “added boost to extend your life, but any small change makes a difference,” Nguyen explains. So what are these life-extending habits? They’re all things we’ve heard before that are actually attainable for most people.

Add Years To Your Life With These 8 Healthy Habits

  • 1. Exercise

    The study’s authors find that working out is one of the most important behaviors anyone can do to improve health. It can lead to a 46% decrease in the risk of death from any cause compared to those who don’t exercise.

    Woman running in winter

    (Photo by BartekSzewczyk/Getty Images)

  • 2. Not becoming addicted to opioids

    Opioid addiction became an epidemic in America beginning in the 1990s, largely due to nefarious marketing tactics and over-prescription. Avoiding a dependency on opioid drugs can reduce the risk of early death by 38%.

    Oxycodone tablets spilling out of a pill bottle

    (Photo by BackyardProduction/Getty Images)

  • 3. Never using tobacco

    The study finds that never smoking can lower the risk of death by 29%. However, even if you have used tobacco products, stopping at any point in life comes with major health benefits.

    Close-up of person smoking a cigarette

    (Photo by Zhang Rong/Getty Images)

  • 4. Managing stress

    While some amount of stress will always be with us, especially during our working years, it behooves us to find ways of reducing its effect on our health. Managing your stress can reduce the risk of early death by 22%, according to the study.

    Woman meditating to manage her stress

    (Photo by Dima Berlin/Getty Images)

  • 5. Eating a plant-based diet

    This is one of the most challenging ones on the list. Shifting to a plant-based diet requires real commitment, but it appears to be worth the effort. The study shows doing so could raise your chance of living longer by 21%.

    Person eating a plant-based bowl of food

    (Photo by Natalia Gdovskaia/Getty Images)

  • 6. Avoiding binge drinking

    Not having more than four alcoholic drinks a day reduces the risk of death by 19%, study results show. As with opioids, alcohol addiction can lead to devastating outcomes, both for the user and the people around them.

    Two men, one of them drunk, leaving a bar

    (Photo by SeventyFour/Getty Images)

  • 7. Getting a good night’s sleep

    Along with managing stress, it pays to be mindful of one’s sleep. The study’s authors say that at least seven hours a night can reduce early death by 18%. I think it’s even worth investing in some things, like a humidifier, that can help with your sleep quality.

    Older woman sleeping in room with humidifier

    (Photo by microgen/Getty Images)

  • 8. Having positive social relationships

    The COVID-19 pandemic showed what social isolation can do to a person’s well-being. Loneliness has actually been called an epidemic of its own, especially among the elderly. We all need supportive people in our lives. Those healthy relationships with family and friends can help boost longevity by 5%.

    Elderly man and his son sitting on stairs and drinking coffee together.

    (Photo by Inside Creative House/Getty Images)

Melany Myers is a Gastonia native and has spent most of her life here in North Carolina. Mel has worked in radio for over 20 years, many of which she spent co-hosting morning shows in Charlotte, NC, and Columbia, SC. Mel loves 80’s music, going to concerts, cooking, and eating! She is always writing about random news stories that really make you wonder, “what in the world?!” She also writes about rock music and human-interest content.

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