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We measured the bacterial contamination of the toothbrushes used at ordinary homes. The ranges of the number of bacteria on toothbrush were 1 X 106 - 9 X 109 cells. After we classified all the bacteria, we found they were mostly facultatively anaerobic bacteria or aerobic bacteria. Among them, gram-negative bacteria occupied approximately 79% and coriform bacteria existed overwhelmingly more than 80% of contaminating bacteria. Opportunistic pathogenic bacteria, which can lead to outbreak of diseases when weak or immune-system malfunctions, consisted of about 43% of the whole contaminating bacteria though there were no specific phathogenic: bacteria which can cause food poisoning or any other related diseases. For oral hygiene, we tried to found the way of-sterilization-of constantly existing bacteria on toothbrush by using ozone. We found that 50% - 60% of bacteria on toothbrush-were sterilized by 20 minute ozone treatment. We made an ozone-producing closed toothbrush box based on this result and tried to experiment how effective the ozone treatment is. We could get-more, than 95%,of sterilizing effect after 3 times repetition of 20 minute ozone treatment by 30 minute interval:
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