Toothbrushes in the Microwave?

I just finished reading an article about microwaving your toothbrush to sterilize your toothbrush. In the article it says to place your toothbrush in the microwave and zap it for about 10 seconds. It also says to replace your toothbrush more often than the 6 months recommended by your dentist. This fact I knew, since after about 3 months my toothbrush bristles seem to go every which way but the way they were when I got the brush.

Replace your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months. After 3 to 4 months your bristles begin to wear down and hard to reach plaque on your teeth. My dentist usually will give out another toothbrush if you ask for it.

If you think about it I can see why they recommend "zapping' your toothbrush in the mircowave. The article says to think about all the germs and bacteria that like to cling to the moist bristles of your toothbrush. When you are sick all those germs stick to the toothbrush. The article recommends that if you do get sick to "zap" it each time before you brush your teeth on high for 10 seconds and then to replace your toothbrush.

However, I'm also thinking about why its a bad idea to "zap" your toothbrush. I'm wondering if putting a plastic toothbrush in the microwave is a good idea. I'm worried about the mess it could make if the handle melts. Also, what about toothbrushes that have metal in them?! I'm not so sure that this is a good idea!

I got to thinking about other ways to help keep the germs and bacteria down a little bit and came up with a little thing my mother had bought for my brother and I when we would travel. It was a toothbrush cap that just slipped right over top of the head of your toothbrush. You can purchase one at many different stores like Wal-Mart. However, most dentist do carry toothbrush caps that you can get free when you go for your regular cleaning.

Another way to sterilize your toothbrush is to regularly soak it in hydrogen peroxide. I'm not sure about you but I'm thinking that maybe the taste would be bad!

A little tip that one of my friends does is to dunk the toothbrush in Listerine for about 30 seconds to a minute. She swears up and down that there is enough alcohol in there to kill off anything that it comes in contact with.

Me personally, I think I'll just stick with the old fashion rinsing it under hot water. I mean after all, I've never gotten sick from my toothbrush.