BehindTheMedspeak: Should you sanitize your toothbrush?

All of a sudden it seems nearly every other catalog I receive (and that's a lot of catalogs — trust me) is flogging the new VIOlight UV–light toothbrush sanitizer (above).

From one:

The warmth and moisture of your bathroom is an ideal incubator for bacteria.

As a result, according to the Journal of the American Dental Association, "contaminated toothbrushes not only harbor, but also transmit, both viruses and bacteria that cause systemic and inflammatory diseases."

Worse, according to this report of the Surgeon General: "Research findings have pointed to possible association between chronic oral infection and diabetes, heart and lung disease, stroke... and other major maladies!"

Why am I less than impressed by the above?

For several reasons.

1) What's in your mouth is by far the most dangerous group of microorganisms you'll ever encounter. Why do you think that a human bite is the one most dreaded by ER physicians? It's because a bite from a person is far more likely to cause a life–threatening infection than one from a dog or other animal.

2) I don't take issue with contaminated toothbrushes harboring all manner of microorganisms — but far worse lie in wait within your mouth. What are you supposed to do: go to the tanning parlor and wrap your lips around a UV bulb?

3) It's gum disease — gingivitis — that's the vector for systemic infections. Flossing is what keeps gums healthy, not UV–light–treated toothbrushes.

VIOlight got a big boost when Brendan Koerner featured it in his weekly column, "The Goods," on page two of the New York Times Business section on January 16 of this year.

Then, just a couple weeks ago it appeared again in the Times, featured as an example of superior industrial design.

I don't argue with that, only with the usefulness of the device.

Call me a Luddite but I think I'll stick to my Glide floss and pass on the VIOlight.

If you demur, so be it; you can get the battery–powered portable version (top) for $29.95 here.