Why Your Toothbrush Bristles Become Firm?
Have you noticed that the bristles on your toothbrush get really hard, but you are not sure why? It could be due to the following reasons.
The Toothbrush Is Old
Many people go far too long without changing out their toothbrush for a brand new one. This is because your general dentist will typically give you a new toothbrush when you have your six month checkup, which makes people think that it is the time to swap out their old toothbrush with a new one. You actually should be swapping out your toothbrush much more frequently after every three months.
There will be a point where those bristles will be worn down an ineffective as the brush gets older, which is why the brush should be changed more frequently. If you noticed that the bristles look especially bad, you should get a new toothbrush even sooner.
The Water Inside Your Home is Hard
Are you located in a city where you have soft water from a municipal source, or do you live out in the country where you have hard water that may be from a well? Hard water can contribute to your toothbrush wearing down faster over the years, sine all those minerals in the water will get stuck in the bristles each time you brush and rinse off your toothbrush when you are finished.
A good thing to do is rinse your toothbrush out with distilled water, or install a water filtration system in your home. You can just get a filter that is installed under a single sink, or a filtration system that filter all of the water in your home.
The Toothpaste Is Stuck In The Bristles
You should try thoroughly rinsing out your toothbrush when you are done brushing for the day. If you are just letting the water from the faucet wash over the surface, chances are that it is not getting rid of all the toothpaste. You should actually use your thumb to pull back the bristles gently so that the water can get to the bottom of the brush, which will prevent toothpaste from drying at the base. Do this every day and you will notice that your toothbrush is in much better condition when three months is over.
Just make sure you wash your hands before you rinse off the bristles thoroughly. You do not want to be introducing bacteria to the brush that you will soon be putting back into your mouth.