Did you know that taking good care of your teeth and gums can not only add years to your life but also lowers risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes—and even memory-robbing disorders like Alzheimer’s disease? A new study of nearly 5,000 older adults found that those who brushed their teeth less than once a day were up to 65 percent more likely to develop dementia than those who brushed daily. But more importantly is when you floss. The best time to floss your teeth is after your last meal at night. If you wait till morning to floss the bacteria has a chance to build up and decay your teeth overnight causing cavities and gum disease. If you wait till morning to floss you will eat your breakfast. lunch and dinner all of which will cause more food to lodge between your teeth. These food particles will remain in your teeth throughout the course of your day unless you floss after each meal. Few people floss after eating each meal which is the ideal way to keep food and bacteria out of your teeth.

And here’s even more motivation to brush and floss: A new CDC study reports that nearly 65 million Americans—one out of every two adults ages 30 and older—have gum disease, a far higher rate than has previously been reported. That’s dangerous, since a 2012 American Heart Association scientific statement reports that periodontal (gum) disease is a strong, independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (heart attacks and stroke).

What’s the best way to keep your teeth and gums healthy? While everyone agrees that brushing at least twice a day is crucial, there’s hot debate online right now about whether it’s preferable to floss before you brush or afterwards. Here’s a look at surprising flossing recommendations.

You can floss before you brush to break up and remove the plaque between the teeth before going in with the toothbrush to sweep away the bacteria and debris you’ve dislodged with flossing. For me I brush before I floss and after I floss.

“It makes more sense, particularly for kids, to floss after brushing so you can see what you’ve missed with the toothbrush. Also, if you floss first, debris might get pushed back between the gums when you brush. It’s also important to use the right flossing technique: make a C-shape with the floss and wrap it around each tooth to clean the surface, rather than just snapping the floss up and down, which doesn’t clean the structures properly.

“It doesn’t matter whether you floss first or brush first, because you are cleaning different surfaces of the teeth. That’s why flossing is crucial: It’s the only way to clean between the teeth, since a toothbrush can’t reach these crevices

“The biggest thing is to remember to brush twice a day and floss once, spending several minutes removing plaque and debris between the teeth. It takes 24 to 48 hours for oral bacteria to organize into plaque, so as long as you dislodge the plaque at least once a day by flossing, you’re protecting your oral health.

“Either order is OK. My recommendation is to floss at night, before you go to bed. When you’re sleeping, you produce less saliva to clean your teeth and gums, so oral bacteria are free to do more damage. Therefore, it’s important to brush, floss and scrape your tongue every night to get rid of bacteria and go to bed with your mouth as clean as possible

What’s the Bottom Line on Flossing?

The American Dental Association reports brushing or flossing first are both fine, as long as you do a thorough job. However, the ADA adds that a benefit of flossing first is that fluoride from toothpaste is more likely to reach between your teeth when you brush, which may help reduce cavities.

Flossing once a day is crucial to avoid having the film of bacteria between the teeth harden into plaque and then tartar, a hard mineral deposit that can cause gums to become swollen and inflamed, leading to the earliest stage of gum disease: gingivitis.

Have you ever done your business, flushed the toilet, then stopped to ponder the short distance between the whirlpool of human waste and your vulnerable toothbrush on the counter? Or are you a proponent of storing your toothbrush inside your medicine cabinet for this very reason? Either way, there are some interesting (and potentially off-putting) facts to know about different modes of toothbrush storage. Read on for an expert-informed exploration of the most sanitary home for your toothbrush

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Where to store your toothbrush

We could spend all day debating the scientific merits of various toothbrush storage locations. While it’s an interesting conversation, it’s probably not worth actually stressing about this. As long as you’re not storing your toothbrush in an obviously filthy place (like, literally on your toilet), you’re probably just fine.

We live in a world full of germs, and that includes your toothbrush—no matter where you keep it. “It is important to remember that [your] toothbrush will never be sterile, [because] whatever environment it is placed in will have microorganisms that will settle upon it.

With that said its best not to keep your toothbrush really close to your toilet. That’s not because it poses a serious threat to your health, but because it’s honestly kind of gross. Keeping your toothbrush out in the open in your bathroom exposes it to a little something called toilet plume

If you haven’t heard of this phenomenon, you’ve been living in blissful ignorance. Toilet plume is the aerosolized cloud of microscopic particles, including urine and feces that sprays into the air and onto surrounding surfaces when you flush the toilet. Experts aren’t sure exactly how far toilet plume can reach, but if your toothbrush is on the counter, it’s probably well within range. The closer it gets to your toilet, the more likely it’ll get spritzed with that plume.

While that's not a pleasant idea, it’s no big deal when it comes to your health, according to the American Dental Association (ADA). The organization emphasizes that although toothbrushes have been found to carry bacteria (including from feces), there is no solid proof that this will actually harm you.

Scientists don’t have evidence of loads of people actually getting sick from toilet plume, let alone from using toilet plume-coated toothbrushes. Yes, Garner notes that it is technically possible, especially if someone with a highly infectious illness like coronavirus uses your toilet. Norovirus causes more food poisoning in the United States than any other pathogen, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That potency is one reason why a 2015 review of epidemiologic studies and lab experiments published in the American Journal of Infection Control notes that norovirus may present the biggest risk of airborne infection from toilet plume. It also takes very few particles to transmit this infection, and norovirus can live on surfaces for days or weeks. Again, though, this may pose a much bigger theoretical risk than an actual one. Overall, toilet plume is more of a disgusting thing to know about than something to worry about every time you pick up your toothbrush.

How to store your toothbrush

“Toothbrushes should be stored upright in an environment that allows for them to dry out completely between uses. That’s why medicine cabinets are generally frowned upon for toothbrush storage.

A small, sealed-off medicine cabinet creates a humid enclosure that may theoretically allow pathogens to thrive since moisture is conducive to microbial growth (like that of mold and bacteria). But as Dr. Geisinger points out, similarly with toilet plume, there is no evidence that storing your toothbrush in your medicine cabinet is directly linked with negative health consequences.

What you do here really comes down to how much you hate the ideas of toilet plume and microbial growth on your toothbrush in a medicine cabinet. If neither of these scenarios bothers you, feel free to keep storing your toothbrush the way you always have. If both gross you out and you’re not sure what to do, you could change your toothbrush storage based on the situation.

For instance, you can keep your toothbrush out on the counter but institute a lid-down flushing rule, more for the sake of your mind than your actual health. In fairness, that would be a lot easier to communicate to someone like a partner than a one-time guest, new friend, or group of people hanging out at your place.

In those cases, you might decide to keep your toothbrush in the medicine cabinet for a short period, or to leave it on the counter but put a toothbrush cover over the head. That may impact its ability to dry out as quickly, which is why Dr. Geisinger is generally against these covers. However, she says, short-term use is probably OK.

You might even be so grossed out that you’d rather keep your toothbrush on a stand in your bedroom. It’s up to you. Overall, though, don’t let this take up too much space in your brain. You’re much more likely to get sick in other ways, like by picking up a virus on the job.

A few more ways to stay on top of your toothbrush hygiene

Instead of worrying too much about toothbrush storage, make sure you’re taking care of all aspects of toothbrush hygiene. The ADA has some pretty simple rules to follow:

Don’t share your toothbrush. Duh. You could swap pathogens.

Rinse it well after every use. Wash off any remaining food particles and toothpaste. (We can also personally vouch for the vigorous wrist-flicking method.)

Don’t let anyone else’s toothbrush head touch yours. If you store several toothbrushes in the same holder, the CDC advises not letting the brush heads touch each other.

Replace it at least every three to four months. Toothbrushes become less effective over time. Swap in a new one before this if the bristles become visibly frayed. Your toothbrush may well be still effective after 3 or 4 months but after this amount of time it is probably filled with bacteria.

Skip the disinfectants and sanitizers. According to the ADA, there’s not a ton of research on toothbrush sanitizing. And the CDC recommends against soaking toothbrushes in disinfecting solutions or mouthwash, which might just provide more opportunities for cross-contamination. To avoid damaging your toothbrush, they also advise against trying to use microwaves, dishwashers, or ultraviolet sanitizing devices.

Wherever you choose to keep your toothbrush, prioritize these basic tips for oral hygiene, and you should be good to go. And, you know, toss your toothbrush if you drop it in the toilet.