Life Advice

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Health

Teeth cleaners leave restrooms with hidden surprises

By Amy Dickinson, Tribune Content Agency on

Dear Amy: Where I work, we have several departments, which share a large, public bathroom.

My issue is this: Often, I walk into the bathroom to see a colleague brushing their teeth in one of these public sinks.

I'm guessing the most common reason is to prepare for a dentist appointment, but regardless of the reason, I find it really disgusting and thoughtless of others.

I wash my hands in those sinks, and people think it's OK to spit their food, saliva and germs into a public sink?

It turns my stomach, Amy. I understand wanting clean teeth prior to seeing the dentist, but isn't this poor (and unsanitary) etiquette? Your thoughts, please.

-- Disgusted in the Bathroom

 

Dear Disgusted: Some people brush their teeth after every meal, and not just before going to the dentist. Certainly if your colleagues are headed into meetings, they might feel more confident knowing their teeth and breath are clean.

Let's break down your queasiness: You are washing your hands after using the toilet. Presumably, your own hands are affected by germs and (possibly) fecal matter. That's why you are washing them, right?

People who choose to brush their teeth in a public toilet are more vulnerable to public germs than you are, because of what (naturally) goes on in public restrooms. A 2015 study presented by the American Society for Microbiology showed that 60 percent of toothbrushes used in public restrooms tested positive for fecal contamination. They estimated that in public restrooms there is an 80 percent chance that this contamination does not originate with the toothbrush's owner, but with someone else. Yikes.

So if you are washing your hands using soap and a stream of water, and don't have any contact with the bowl of the sink, then how do these other germs affect you?

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