Mouths as dirty as a bathroom floor.

• Position: Teeth Cleaning - Brief article

"In an unbrushed mouth there can be as many germs as a dirty bathroom floor," San Francisco, Calif.-based prosthodontist Ann Wei told the American Grandparents Association's Grandparents.com. Prosthodontists caution that germs inside as well as outside the mouth make it is extremely important to practice healthy hygiene habits that are fast, fairly free, and quite effective.

"This is even true for patients with no teeth who wear dentures," says Frank J. Tuminelli, president of the American College of Prosthodontists, Chicago, III. "Patients use a toothbrush to clean dentures. Thus, if your toothbrush is not cleaned properly, it could make your dentures a harbor for microorganisms and could correlate to aspiration type diseases such as pneumonia."

ACP recommends six ways to help keep your toothbrush clean and prevent germy buildup:

* Replace your toothbrush or toothbrush head...