I stick it in my mouth. I rub plaque, food particles, and other assorted nastiness all over it. I clean it when I’m done with a brief rinse. I put it away wet.
But later, I never find mildew, mold, or any other yuckiness on it, as I might if I were to slobber all over the edge of a plastic cup, or whatever. Why is this?
Initially, I thought maybe the toothbrush was made of some Space-Age[sup]TM[/sup] material that resists growths. Then I decided that (a) if this existed, more stuff would be made out of it, and (b) toothbrushes would cost more than a buck and a half at Walgreens.
My current operative theory is that the fluoride and other chemicals in toothpaste, left in traces on the toothbrush, are inhospitable to grottiness. But at the same time, most toothpastes are loaded with sweeteners (compare a non-sweetened brand, like Tom’s, to see what I mean), which would seem to be a breeding ground for sugar-loving bacteria.
It’s also possible that this is an artifact of our being paranoid about Germs (q.v. “antibacterial paper towels” and other assorted goofiness). In other words, I could slobber all over the water glass and nothing bad would happen.
What’s the scoop?
