If you have recovered from COVID-19 you must change your toothbrush immediately

If you have recently recovered from Covid 19, you need to be more vigilant than before. Many people will give you a lot of advice to be safe. But you may have heard very little of what we are going to tell you. Now you need to change your toothbrush. Dentists are of the view that a person who has recently recovered from Covid-19 should immediately change their toothbrush upon recovery. 

India is currently dealing with a devastating second Covid-19 wave that has swept through the nation, crushing the country's health infrastructure and overburdening frontline medical workers. It is by now clear that a person who has been recovered from covid can get infected again. Vaccination is effective as a remedy but according to experts, nothing can guarantee 100 per cent safety.

"If you or anyone in your family and friend circle have contracted Covid-19, once recovered, please ensure to change your toothbrush, tongue cleaner etc. These can harbour the virus, and it is best they are discarded," said Dr Pravesh Mehra, HOD Dental Surgery, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi. This will help to curb the spread people living in home is less likely to infect. Also other members of the household who are using the same washroom can be protected.

Agreeing with this, Dr Bhumika Madan, Consultant (Dental), Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital, said she usually recommends changing toothbrush and tongue cleaners to anyone who has recovered from seasonal flu, cough and cold.

"We are advising the same to Covid-19 patients too. If you have contracted Covid-19, you should change your toothbrush and tongue cleaner after 20 days of getting the first symptoms," Dr Bhumika Madan said.

It also builds up bacteria on the toothbrush after a while. If mouthwash is not available, rinse with warm water. In addition, one must maintain oral hygiene and brush twice a day.

According to the World Health Organisation, the virus primarily spreads through tiny droplets that come out from an infected person's mouth when they cough, sneeze, shout, talk, laugh etc.

People can get infected after touching surfaces that have been contaminated by the virus, and then touching their eyes, nose or mouth without cleaning their hands.

In January of this year, Brazilian researchers conducted a study to understand the effect of oral hygiene on the discussion of covid 19. The study recommended that disinfecting toothbrushes should be part of oral hygiene as it would help in mitigating infections.