Brushing my teeth at work giving me mouth sores

[Jamthenurse]

I have to ask, and it's a little gross. I can't work a 12 hour shift and have lunch, coffee, etc without brushing my teeth a few times (some of my peers who work closely with people have dragon breath btw). So I use the staff bathroom. I rinse my toothbrush in the sink. And I get cold sores in my mouth. Once or twice I've caught colds and I suspect the sink for that as well. I'm guessing the spout is a disgusting tube full of spit and germs and whatever has rubbed off people's hands. Of course it is.

So what choice is there? I used to sterilize my toothbrush is the microwave and that just made everyone else PO'ed when they'd see me doing it. So am I the only nurse who brushes teeth? Is there an alternative that doesn't involve me getting canker sores? What do some of you do?

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

Just a thought: I cannot use certain toothpastes. Some anti-plaque formulas break my mouth out. My mother and my brother cannot either. Maybe you are going overboard with strong toothpastes and a "too harsh" toothbrush. I use only a soft Oral-B brush. Strangely enough, I also cannot use the "gel" types and have to use the "pastes."

[samirish]

Two words: Disposable Toothbrush

Also, please do NOT be putting your personal toothbrush into a communal microwave. Not only is that gross but its pretty selfish.

[MsBlissful]

I have to ask, and it's a little gross. I can't work a 12 hour shift and have lunch, coffee, etc without brushing my teeth a few times (some of my peers who work closely with people have dragon breath btw). So I use the staff bathroom. I rinse my toothbrush in the sink. And I get cold sores in my mouth. Once or twice I've caught colds and I suspect the sink for that as well. I'm guessing the spout is a disgusting tube full of spit and germs and whatever has rubbed off people's hands. Of course it is.

So what choice is there? I used to sterilize my toothbrush is the microwave and that just made everyone else PO'ed when they'd see me doing it. So am I the only nurse who brushes teeth? Is there an alternative that doesn't involve me getting canker sores? What do some of you do?

Well, I wore braces.. orthodontics while I worked. I actually carried a portable toothbrush, took a cup of fresh water from the Sparklettes tank and used it.

Simple, hygeinic and Cold Sores.. are a virus.. Herpes simplex. Did you catch it at work? possible yes. They are with you a lifetime.. once there you can break out anytime.

[Jamthenurse]

Okay, okay! I confused cold vs cankers. I will not ever, never do that with the microwave again. And I will use the bottled water in a cup, disposable toothbrush, and listerine routine. I also don't think I'm overbrushing but you're right, I may be because of childhood guilt. And I don't want to offend.

I dearly appreciate your responses and your gentle scolding.

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

Jam-

A better alternative to placing your toothbrush in the microwave would be to heat up some water and THEN dip your toothbrush into the water.

Everyone wins.

[cherrybreeze, ADN, RN]

Okay, okay! I confused cold vs cankers. I will not ever, never do that with the microwave again. And I will use the bottled water in a cup, disposable toothbrush, and listerine routine. I also don't think I'm overbrushing but you're right, I may be because of childhood guilt. And I don't want to offend.

I dearly appreciate your responses and your gentle scolding.

I understand confusing the two, but I do still wonder which ones you are getting. As previous posters have said, canker sores are not contagious, so it they are cankers, they're not from the sink. Cold sores are caused by herpes simplex, which IS contagious, but once you have the virus, you can get cold sores at any time...it would be random; repeated contact wouldn't cause subsequent cold sores. So, it sounds like there's another issue of some sort at hand, because logically, the sink could cause neither.

I can't tell if your post is sarcastic or not here, I'm going benefit of the doubt here and hoping not. I would suggest seeing your PCP or dentist if the mouth sores are that frequent of a concern for you.

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

I use wisps at work, I can brush, toss and go.

[hikernurse]

In the breastfeeding area of the baby section there are products that can sterilize in the microwave. I believe they're by Avent (Mods, if I can't post that name, please feel free to delete, thanks). I think it sterilizes by steaming. That also would work great for toothbrushes. The product is self enclosed and wouldn't put your colleagues at "toothbrush risk" if you used this at work. :)

I brush my teeth all the time at work, twelve hours is a long time to go with ummm, tired breath . I use soft bristles and my regular toothpaste.

Something to think about is that it may be your diet at work--I drink more caffeine and eat more junk at work than I do at home--that may be causing mouth problems. Or just plain and simple stress...

[elkpark]

You mention brushing at work a "few times" while at work, and I assume that you are brushing at least twice at home (in the morning and before bed). Perhaps you are irritating your mouth by brushing too much. I'm not sure if it works the same way that say, too much cleaning in certain personal areas can cause irritation or infection. I don't know if you can adversely affect the normal flora in your mouth by brushing too often, but I certainly would think you can make the area more sensitive from the mechanical action of brushing. I would try laying off the frequency a bit and see what happens.

This is what I was thinking, also.

[sciencer]

Are you sure it's the sink? I had switched toothpastes to a different brand and found I was getting mouth sores/irritations. I switched back to just a very basic toothpaste, and I haven't had the problem since. Otherwise I'd ask your dentist for a recommendation.

[talaxandra]

Overbrushing doesn't just increase your risk of gum and oral mucosa irritation, you can also brush off the enamel - trust me, not only am I a dentist's daughter but my mother managed to do that and had to have them all capped. Ouch!

Gum's really good for oral hygeine between brushing, provided it's sugar-free - it increases saliva production, which reduces pathogenic germ numbers and freshens your breath. Be wary of Listerine and similar mouth washes - they can knock out beneficial bacteria and the alcohol-based versions have been linked with oral cancers.

I brush when I get to work (I have an apple every day on leaving work and need a good half hour before brushing to avoid removing the apple acid-weakened enamel). My brush lives in my locker and air dries, which is clearn enough for me. I use filtered water to swish, and spit into the bin under the sink. I floss after breakfast and before I go to bed, as I have neither time nor inclination to spend ages with my hands in my mouth at work!

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

In the breastfeeding area of the baby section there are products that can sterilize in the microwave. I believe they're by Avent (Mods, if I can't post that name, please feel free to delete, thanks). I think it sterilizes by steaming. That also would work great for toothbrushes. The product is self enclosed and wouldn't put your colleagues at "toothbrush risk" if you used this at work. :)

I brush my teeth all the time at work, twelve hours is a long time to go with ummm, tired breath . I use soft bristles and my regular toothpaste.

Something to think about is that it may be your diet at work--I drink more caffeine and eat more junk at work than I do at home--that may be causing mouth problems. Or just plain and simple stress...

Medela makes microwave bags to steam sterilize breast pump parts