Toothbrush-Aholic

     I recall a conversation we had when I first met him about toothbrushes.  My Aunt is a dentist, so I've grown up being repeatedly reprimanded about my personal oral health care.  Imagine seeing someone you are related to at Christmas time and the first thing you hear is "Say AHHH!"  Yes, that is what she was like.  She's a great woman, don't get me wrong.  She joined the Air Force Reserve to pay her way through college and she's making fine money at a job she loves (how she could love smelling other peoples' breath all day is beyond me).  The best part of having her as a relative is what it taught me.  


     I remember being really nervous about seeing her around the holidays (and if she ever reads this, I hope she understands it wasn't her personally, it was the dental check up that I would get nervous about).  I remember trying to figure out every way possible to make my teeth look their best before our visits.  And because children NEVER have the best oral health practices (hello candy), it was tough but the older I got the easier it became and the smarter I became as well.  (Of course I'm drinking coffee as I type this, but we'll try to skip past that tiny tid-bit of information).  Haha


     Did you know that you are supposed to change your toothbrush every 2 to 3 months?  According to the American Dental Association toothbrushes become worn out and can of course contain and hold germs (obviously).  After each use, you should rinse your toothbrush out with HOT water in an attempt to kill said germs.  Should you get sick (we're talking flu symptoms minus the icky details) you should throw your toothbrush out immediately after you are finished feeling icky because you can make yourself ill again by re-using the same toothbrush, believe it or not!  


     Basically you are probably going to realize that just like any other personal hygiene habits, good oral care will cost you some money in the long run but it's completely worth it to have a beautiful smile and your own teeth when you turn 80.  (Because ask anyone who has dentures, they are NOT comfortable!)


     Now the GREAT news!  Did you know that there is a company that makes recyclable toothbrushes?  Yay Preserve!  I was actually reading an article in Rachel Ray's magazine when I saw this brilliant idea pop out at me from one of the pages.  Wow, what a great idea!  

     So I did just a little research, because I believe half the fun is finding out for yourself.  (How else would you learn if I just told you everything?)  This toothbrush is amazing, but not as amazing as the idea behind it.  It's made from already recycled yogurt cups and they package them in a returnable bag, so you can seal up the toothbrush when you are done and ship it back to the company to be re-recycled.  Wow, Amazing!

     I've been recycling toothbrushes the old fashioned way for years.  I always tend to keep one or two old toothbrushes around for use in household chores, such as spot treating my clothes pre-wash or for use cleaning the tiny in-between spaces on the bathroom fixtures.  (Be sure to boil your old toothbrushes before reusing them for other household chores, to clean them.)  Truth be told, there are many ways in which we can reduce, reuse and recycle everything in our day to day lives.

Think about it.