Little things that helped me avoid post-surgery infections

I ended up switching to disposables for a couple weeks, just to be safe. It probably was overkill, but it helped me sleep better.

Honestly, I don’t think that’s overkill at all. If using disposable toothbrushes made you feel more comfortable during recovery, then it was the right call for you. I’ve seen plenty of folks do the same thing after oral surgery or even just a tough extraction. There’s something about that peace of mind—sometimes it’s worth way more than the actual “risk” factor.

And you’re totally right about the phone and remote being germ magnets. People always think about their toothbrush or maybe their pillowcase, but those little things you touch all day? Way easier to forget, especially when you’re not feeling great and end up binge-watching shows in bed. I’ll admit, I’ve wiped down my phone with alcohol wipes more times than I care to count after seeing what ends up on it under a microscope (don’t recommend if you ever want to look at your phone the same way again).

Age has nothing to do with being cautious, by the way. Some people are just more tuned-in to these things, and honestly, after surgery, it’s completely normal to feel extra protective of your mouth. You went through a lot—your body’s healing and your brain is just trying to keep you safe.

If it helps put your mind at ease for next time: as long as you’re rinsing your toothbrush (or swapping them out like you did), and keeping up with basic hygiene, you’re doing a great job. No need to stress about being “overly careful.” Sometimes those little routines are exactly what help us get through recovery without losing sleep.

I’ve had patients who boiled their toothbrushes or used UV lights—everyone has their own comfort zone. The main thing is finding what works for you so you can focus on healing instead of worrying about every little germ.

Hope your recovery went smoothly and that you’re back to feeling like yourself again soon.

- Interesting point about the “germ magnets”—I never thought about my remote before, but now it’s all I can think about.
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“I’ve had patients who boiled their toothbrushes or used UV lights”

Boiling toothbrushes is one of those things that sounds like it should work, but honestly, it’s not ideal in practice. The high heat will kill a lot of bacteria, sure, but it also tends to warp the bristles and sometimes even damages the plastic. I’ve seen patients bring in boiled brushes that look like they went through a rough dishwasher cycle—bristles splayed out everywhere. Not great for your gums or teeth.

UV cases are kind of interesting. There’s some decent evidence that they can reduce bacterial load on the brush, though how much that matters for everyday use is debatable unless someone’s immune system is really compromised or they’re recovering from surgery. I have a couple of colleagues who swear by them for peace of mind, especially during cold/flu season. Personally, I think swapping to disposables for a little while post-surgery is probably the easiest and most effective route. Less hassle, and you’re not recontaminating anything.

The “germ magnet” comment about remotes made me laugh because I can’t count how many times I’ve told people to wipe down doorknobs and phones when they’re recovering... but I never thought about remotes until this thread either. Now I’m side-eyeing mine on the coffee table.

End of the day, infection control at home isn’t about being perfect but just stacking small habits—clean hands before touching your face, swapping out toothbrushes more often if you’re worried, wiping down high-touch surfaces every so often. If something helps you feel less anxious while you’re healing, even if it’s not 100% necessary by the book, I’d say go for it as long as it doesn’t do harm. Peace of mind isn’t overrated when you’re already stressed about recovery.

“End of the day, infection control at home isn’t about being perfect but just stacking small habits—clean hands before touching your face, swapping out toothbrushes more often if you’re worried, wiping down high-touch surfaces every so often.”

That really hits home for me. When my daughter had her tonsils out, I got so caught up in trying to sanitize everything perfectly that it made us both a little nuts. What actually helped was just swapping her brush every few days and making hand-washing a game. The remote thing is wild—I never even thought about it until now, but yeah, she was glued to it during recovery. Guess I’ll add that to my “wipe down” list next time. Sometimes it’s the simple stuff that sticks.

Sometimes it’s the simple stuff that sticks.

Right? I used to get so stressed trying to keep everything “sterile” after my kid’s appendix surgery, like I was running a mini hospital at home. Spoiler: it made me miserable and didn’t actually help much. After a few days, I just started focusing on the basics—like you said, hand-washing and swapping out his water bottle every day (he kept losing them anyway).

The remote thing cracked me up because same here—my son basically lived with the TV remote glued to his hand for two weeks. Never even thought about how gross those things get until I saw him eating crackers with one hand and flipping channels with the other. Now I just keep some wipes next to the couch and try not to think too hard about what’s lurking on those buttons.

I’m with you on toothbrushes too. I used to think changing them out all the time was overkill, but honestly, it’s cheap peace of mind when you’re worried about germs. Plus, it’s kind of satisfying tossing out an old brush and seeing a fresh one waiting.

Funny enough, the only thing we really argued about was opening windows. My mom swears by “fresh air kills germs,” but then my son would complain he was cold. Can’t win them all! But yeah, at the end of the day, it’s just small habits stacked up—not perfection—that make a difference. The rest is just… life happening.