Quinnipiac University has recently released the results of a study that will have you thinking twice about putting your toothbrush in your mouth.

Toothbrushes were analyzed from Quinnipiac students who share communal bathrooms with at least nine other people and--regardless of how those students stored their toothbrushes--60% of the toothbrushes had the same substance on them:

Yep, fecal matter was on their toothbrushes.

According to CBS News, reporting on the study:

"The main concern is not with the presence of your own fecal matter on your toothbrush, but rather when a toothbrush is contaminated with fecal matter from someone else, which contains bacteria, viruses or parasites that are not part of your normal flora [microbes]," study author Lauren Aber of Quinnipiac University, said in a society news release.

Her team found no difference in the effectiveness of methods used to clean toothbrushes, such as rinsing with mouthwash, or cold or hot water.

In addition, "using a toothbrush cover doesn't protect a toothbrush from bacterial growth, but actually creates an environment where bacteria are better suited to grow by keeping the bristles moist and not allowing the head of the toothbrush to dry out between uses," Aber explained.

 

Welp, happy brushing!

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