15 March 2017

In aid of World Oral Health Day on Monday [20 March 2017], local charity, the Oral Health Foundation are holding a toothbrush amnesty event in Rugby town centre.

The charity is giving the residents of Rugby the opportunity to trade in their old toothbrushes for some brand-new ones between 11:30am and 2:00pm on Sheep Street.

They will be providing manual toothbrushes for adults, children and even babies.

The team will also be getting a visit from the Mayor of Rugby, Councillor Sally Bragg, who has chosen the Oral Health Foundation as one of her chosen charities during her term as mayor.

Speaking ahead of the event, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter OBE, said: "World Oral Health Day is a fantastic opportunity to ensure oral health messages reach even further than normal and we wanted to reach out into our local community to help spread some smiles.

"They may seem like a rather insignificant tool but they form a crucial part of our daily routine, being used twice a day for months on end, becoming worn down and ineffective.

"We have also found that toothbrushes are rarely cleaned thoroughly and are often kept in warm, moist conditions, ideal for bacterial growth. Despite this, there is little awareness that the bristles may become contaminated by either the hundreds of microorganisms thriving in the mouth or the many thousands living in the environment."

It is advised that you change your toothbrush every two to three months or sooner if it becomes worn, as it will not clean the teeth properly. However, new research has revealed one in five of us cannot remember the last time that we changed our brush.

"It is so simple but by replacing a toothbrush more often, we can prevent a lot of unnecessary illness and disease. The strongest argument to change your toothbrush regularly is to prevent re-infection following the flu or a cold. A dirty toothbrush can also be responsible for many ear, nose and throat infections," added Dr Carter.

World Oral Health Day is celebrated globally every year on 20 March and is organized by FDI World Dental Federation.

World Oral Health Day was launched in 2013 to raise awareness of the importance of good oral health and its significance in safeguarding general health and well-being.

As well as providing new toothbrushes to those who trade theirs in, the charities team will also be giving people information regarding the upcoming National Smile Month so that the people of Rugby can find out how they can better look after their oral health every day of the year.

"For the last 25 years we have been proud to call Rugby our home and we wanted to do something special for its residents. This is an opportunity to get rid of your old toothbrush and get a brand new one, no matter what your age," added Dr Carter.

"You will also have the opportunity to speak to our wonderful team and find out a bit more about us and the work we do."