Can Toothpaste or a Toothbrush with Antibacterial Tufts Prevent Toothbrush Contamination?

Background: Periopathogens and cariogenic species survive more than 48 hours on toothbrushes even under dry storage. This study examined a decontamination of toothbrushes by means of the bactericidal effect of different toothpastes or special coating of the tufts. Methods: Eight untreated periodontitis patients were professionally brushed, using a new toothbrush per quadrant and 3 different toothpastes containing either amine/stannous fluoride (AmF/SnF2),amine fluoride (AmF), or a mild surfactant as major antibacterial component (excipient), or no paste (C). The brushes were rinsed and stored dry at room temperature. At different time intervals, 4 tufts per toothbrush were processed for selective and non‐selective culturing procedures. The protocol was repeated comparing AmF/SnF2 and C with 2 toothbrushes with coated tufts (coat1 and coat2). Results: At baseline, C brushes (n = 16) harbored 107, 108, and 106 colony forming units (CFU) of aerobic, anaerobic, and black pigmented species, respectively. After 24 hours 106 CFU of aerobic and anaerobic species could still be cultured from 14 of the 16 brushes. Black‐pigmented species remained detectable up to 4 hours; detection frequencies for Fusobacterium nucleatum and Streptococcus mutans at 24 hours were 5/16. With AmF/SnF2 and AmF toothpaste the number of adhering bacteria was already 2 log lower at baseline (P