In terms of dental equipment, toothbrushes are the cheapest, the most universally used and when combined with fluoride toothpaste the most effective way to protect your teeth on a daily basis.

Everyone knows that a twice-a-day routine twice a day brushing habit will help most people keep their teeth protected as long as they have a healthy, balanced diet and avoid too many overly acidic foods. Still, a lot of people do not think too much about their toothbrush.

Despite it being used every day, despite it being so cheap to replace and despite the risks of infection that can come from using a toothbrush that has been contaminated, a lot of people use a toothbrush for much far longer than they should, which undermines its effectiveness in ensuring good oral health and hygiene.

There are generally two reasons to replace a toothbrush or a brush head in the case of an electric toothbrush, which will factor into the time it takes to replace them.

The first, most urgent and often most neglected reason is if you ever get sick. If you are unwell with the flu or a stomach bug, the bacteria in your mouth will end up on the toothbrush and potentially cause you to get ill again further down the line.

Similarly, if someone else uses your toothbrush by accident, you do not know what bacteria is in their mouth and it is much better to be safe than sorry. 

Other than that, if you manage to avoid being ill, replace your toothbrush whenever the bristles start to harden or fray, which tends to take around three months but can be less than this depending on the type of brush you use or if you have a particularly vigorous brushing style.

Thankfully, good brushes and replacement brush heads are very affordable, so there is no excuse for not picking up some spares.