Dental care on the road: Try a toothbrush sanitizer

I have a habit of putting a toothbrush in a baggie when I travel. I do have those toothbrush holders, but never seem to find them when I pack. Baggies are in the bottom drawer in the kitchen.

If one travels for days on end, the baggie method is certainly not sanitary, and toothbrush holders are probably not much better. Here's an option from a list of travel gadgets to give as gifts that was in the Columbus Dispatch. There's a contraption called the Violight Toothbrush Santitizer. If you live in the U.S. you can buy them at CVS or Target.

Here's how it works. Ultraviolet rays sanitize the toothbrush when you put your toothbrush in the carrying case and turn it on. I assume you turn it on. The rays burn off bacteria. According to the Web site, it gets rid of 99.9% germs in 7 minutes. Wow!! That's a comfort since what you can't see can hurt you. I have boiled my toothbrush before, but there's a problem with the bristles falling out. I only tried that once.

Hmm, I wonder what else can fit in the case? Could you sanitize socks? Perhaps, if they are very small.

Filed under: Gear