Knowing when it’s Time to Throw Away Your Toothbrush

The toothbrush head broke off right after the first row of bristles.

I kid you not. This Oral-B toothbrush disintegrated in my mouth when I was vigorously brushing my teeth this morning in the shower. The oval head snapped off just after the first row of bristles (see photos). Now I know I’m a cheap Yankee in the finest tradition of getting my money’s worth out of something, but this is ridiculous. I have no idea when I bought the brush. In fact, I suspect it’s one the dentist gave me. Heh heh.

Anyhow, you’ll be relieved to know I was not hurt. Just a bit startled. I looked on Oral-B’s web site for when to detect signs of toothbrush wear, but couldn’t find much. I did locate some excellent videos on manual brushing which recommended replacing brushes every three months. THREE MONTHS?! Easy for Oral-B to say – they sell toothbrushes and not ones that last very long! I hang onto them for years.  And don’t let what happened to me this morning happen to you.