Hydrogen Water Beats Chlorhexidine for Cleaning Toothbrushes
- Authors
- C. Vaishnavi, Gayathri P. Elangovan, Mohan Thirumal, S. Vaishnavi Prashanth, D. Deepika, T.G. Pragathi
- Journal
- Journal of Pharmacy & Bioallied Sciences
- Year
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.4103/jpbs.jpbs_1565_24
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- India
- Health Condition
- Periodontal Disease
- Body System
- Oral
TL;DR
Rinsing toothbrushes with hydrogen water might be more effective at killing germs than the commonly used disinfectant chlorhexidine.
Key Finding
Toothbrushes disinfected with hydrogen water had significantly fewer bacteria (measured as colony-forming units) compared to those disinfected with chlorhexidine mouthwash.
Summary
Researchers compared hydrogen water and chlorhexidine (a common antimicrobial mouthwash) for disinfecting toothbrushes. Thirty dental students used one of these solutions to soak their toothbrushes for 10 minutes daily over one week. When researchers counted bacteria on the bristles, they found fewer bacteria on brushes cleaned with hydrogen water than those cleaned with chlorhexidine.
Practical Takeaway
This small study in dental students suggests hydrogen water may be effective for disinfecting toothbrushes, potentially better than chlorhexidine. However, the study is limited by its small size (30 participants) and short duration, and it only tested toothbrush disinfection—not whether this translates to better oral health outcomes. More research is needed before hydrogen water can be recommended as a standard toothbrush disinfectant.
Abstract
Background: Toothbrushes are essential for eliminating dental biofilm and preventing caries and periodontal disease. Regular disinfecting is necessary to maintain a clean toothbrush. Chlorhexidine is the gold standard, but it may be resistant to periodontal pathogens. Hydrogen-rich water, due to its antioxidant properties, may be beneficial against periodontal infections. Method: A study comparing hydrogen water and chlorhexidine as toothbrush disinfectants was conducted. Thirty dental students were divided into two groups: A and B. Group A students used hydrogen water and Group B used chlorhexidine mouth rinse as a disinfecting solution. They were instructed to brush twice a day for seven days and disinfect their toothbrushes with the disinfection solution for 10 minutes. Bristles from the collected toothbrush were sectioned and incubated for 24 hrs and colony-forming units (CFU) were counted. Result: The results showed that hydrogen water had significantly less colony-forming units in brushes disinfected with hydrogen water compared to chlorhexidine. Conclusion: Hydrogen water has better antimicrobial properties than chlorhexidine mouthwash. Therefore, hydrogen water is recommended as a regular disinfectant for toothbrushes.