Biomedical Research

This study aims to investigate the antimicrobial effect of the UV toothbrush sterilizer and various disinfectants on the toothbrush, urge the general public in recognizing the necessity of toothbrush disinfection, prevent oral diseases by disinfecting the toothbrush in a simple and cost effective way, and provide effective and proper hygiene management methods for toothbrushes. 20 female college students in Gangwon province were instructed to brush their teeth for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks of brushing their teeth, their toothbrushes were collected and soaked in 10 ml of 0.2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) solution for group I (n=4), 10 ml of 7.5% povidone iodine (PVI) solution for group II (n=4), and 10 ml of sodium bicarbonate-normal saline solution for group III (n=4). The bristles of the toothbrushes were immersed in each solution for 10 minutes. For group IV (n=4), the toothbrushes were placed in a UV toothbrush sterilizer for 5 min and 30 s according to the instruction of the manufacturer. For group V (n=4), the toothbrushes were soaked in 10 ml of sterile distilled water for 10 min as a control group. The experiment results showed that there were statistically significant differences among the 5 groups. Antimicrobial effects of toothbrushes in the experimental groups differed from those in the control group (p<0.05). The antimicrobial effect on the toothbrush was most prominent in the groups treated with CHX and PVI disinfectants for 10 min, followed by the UV toothbrush sterilizer and sodium bicarbonate-normal saline and sterile distilled water (control group). Therefore, 0.2% CHX and 7.5% PVI disinfectants can be regarded as the best disinfectants in terms of their antimicrobial effect on the toothbrush, and they can also be recommended as proper toothbrush disinfectants in terms of cost effectiveness.

Author(s): Ah-Reum Shin, Seoul-Hee Nam
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