Editing Toothbrush (section)

===Hygiene and care===
It is not recommended to share toothbrushes with others, since besides general hygienic concerns, there is a risk of transmitting diseases that are typically transmittable by blood, such as [[Hepatitis C]].<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Lock | first1 = G. | last2 = Dirscherl | first2 = M. | last3 = Obermeier | first3 = F. | last4 = Gelbmann | first4 = C. M. | last5 = Hellerbrand | first5 = C. | last6 = Knöll | first6 = A. | last7 = Schölmerich | first7 = J. | last8 = Jilg | first8 = W. | year = 2006 | title = Hepatitis C&nbsp;– contamination of toothbrushes: myth or reality? | journal = Journal of Viral Hepatitis | volume = 13 | issue = 9| pages = 571–573 | doi = 10.1111/j.1365-2893.2006.00735.x | pmid=16907842| s2cid = 24264376 }}</ref>

It is advisable to rinse the toothbrush with water, shake it off and let dry after use.

Studies have shown that brushing to remove [[dental plaque]] more often than every 48 hours is enough to maintain gum and tooth health. Tooth brushing can remove plaque up to one millimeter below the gum line. Each person has a habitual brushing method, so more frequent brushing does not cover additional parts of the teeth or mouth.<ref name="clay">{{cite journal | vauthors = Claydon NC | title = Current concepts in toothbrushing and interdental cleaning | journal = Periodontology 2000 | volume = 48 | pages = 10–22 | date = 2008 | pmid = 18715352 | doi = 10.1111/j.1600-0757.2008.00273.x | url = http://red.unal.edu.co/cursos/odontologia/2016549/pdf/Claydon2008Cepilladoylimpiezainterdental.pdf }}</ref>
Most dentists recommended patients brush twice a day in the hope that frequent brushing would clean more areas of the mouth.<ref name=Attin>{{cite journal | vauthors = Attin T, Hornecker E | title = Tooth brushing and oral health: how frequently and when should tooth brushing be performed? | journal = Oral Health & Preventive Dentistry | volume = 3 | issue = 3 | pages = 135–40 | date = 2005 | pmid = 16355646 }}</ref>
Tooth brushing is the most common [[preventive healthcare]] activity, but tooth and gum disease remain high, since lay people clean at most 40% of their tooth margins at the gum line. Videos show that even when asked to brush their best, they do not know how to clean effectively.<ref name="best">{{cite journal | vauthors = Deinzer R, Ebel S, Blättermann H, Weik U, Margraf-Stiksrud J | title = Toothbrushing: to the best of one's abilities is possibly not good enough | journal = BMC Oral Health | volume = 18 | issue = 1 | pages = 167 | date = October 2018 | pmid = 30340623 | pmc = 6194646 | doi = 10.1186/s12903-018-0633-0 | doi-access = free }}</ref>