Hello, and thanks for visiting the Germ Terminator website. Our mission at Germ Terminator Corporation is to provide "a safe, sanitized toothbrush every time you brush."

It is a challenging campaign to educate people about why we feel that it is so important to brush the oral cavity with a sanitized toothbrush. People all over the world have been brushing their teeth ever since they can remember with total disregard for the germs that can breed on their toothbrushes. We tell our kids to wash their hands, but we never tell them to sanitize their toothbrushes (before they put them in their mouths time and again), go figure! We welcome this challenge, and we are so excited to change oral-hygiene culture, because the message is really starting to catch on!

I have received e-mails from viewers who have watched our TV program. A few of them have asked me some questions that fall into the following categories:

A. Will the Germ Terminator improve my health, and
B. Will the Germ Terminator cure an illness/disease.

My answer.

No, the Germ Terminator Corporation does not claim that the Germ Terminator will improve your health, and, no, the Germ Terminator Corporation does not claim that the Germ Terminator will cure an illness.

The Germ Terminator Corporation, including the Germ Terminator TV or radio infomercial, does not claim that the Germ Terminator Toothbrush Sanitizer will improve health or cure any illness. Just as doctors and dentists, who use steam autoclaves to sanitize their medical instruments, do not claim that their steam autoclaves will improve an individual's health or cure any illness or disease, the Germ Terminator Corporation also makes no such claims. Nevertheless, we know that steam autoclaves are vital to the medical and dental care industry, and we believe that the Germ Terminator is an extremely important oral-hygiene device.

Though the Germ Terminator Toothbrush Sanitizer is not a steam autoclave, the Germ Terminator does have a greater than 99.9999% kill rate tested on many different germs, with no germs detected in any test, when those germs were placed on toothbrushes and tested by independent laboratories. The Germ Terminator was tested against microorganisms including: Herpes, HIV, Hepatitis, Meningitis, The Cold Virus, The Flu Virus, Salmonella, E. Coli, Staphylococcus, Candida, Listeria, and Gingivalis.

This greater than 99.9999% kill rate with no germs detected in any test is remarkable for a device that is so simple to use and is designed for home use. Please know that toothbrushes are classified by the FDA as medical devices, and the Germ Terminator Corporation firmly believes that all medical devices that go in the mouth should be sanitized before every use.

Here are some additional facts so that you can make your own informed decision on whether or not you should sanitize your toothbrush after every use. The bottom line question is:

What's better-a clean toothbrush or one that is infested with germs?

For those who have the time, we suggest that each of the referenced articles cited below be read in their entirety. We have provided the full references for each of the excerpts.

The Journal of the American Dental Association:
"Studies have shown that contaminated toothbrushes not only harbor, but also transmit both viruses and bacteria that cause systemic, localized and oral inflammatory diseases."
(September 2001, Vol. 132, The effects of toothpastes on the residual microbial contamination of toothbrushes)

The Centers for Disease Control:
"Even after being rinsed visibly clean, toothbrushes can remain
contaminated with potentially pathogenic organisms."
(January 2002,
www.cdc.gov/OralHealth/infection_control/fact_sheet/toothbrushes.htm)

USA Today:
"The sharp tips of toothbrush bristles can cause tiny lacerations in the gums that allow infections to enter the body."
(27 April 2000, http://216.239.51.100/search?q=cache:AreMjSo78KgC:
www.usatoday.com/life/health/doctor, Your toothbrush may be a biohazard)

The Journal of the Canadian Dental Association:
"We know that toothbrushes can transmit disease."
(2000; 66:186-7, Accepting the Need for "Overkill" in Infection Control)

The New Haven Department of Health:
"Laboratory cultures made from used toothbrushes have shown many dangerous pathogenic germs."
(Vol.LII, No. 10, http://info.med.yale.edu/newhavenhealth/documents/
historical/monthly/toothbrush.html, The Toothbrush)

The Academy of General Dentistry:
"Because most families store toothbrushes in a common storage space, airborne bacteria can move from toothbrush to toothbrush, passing opportunistic infections such as periodontal disease and the common cold from one person to another."
(http://www.agd.org/consumer/topics/children/toothbrushes/html, Is Your Family Sharing Too Much? Toothbrushes Harbor Hidden Germs During Cold and Flu Season)

The Journal of Dentistry for Children:
"Streptococcus and pathogenic microorganisms can be transferred readily when a toothbrush is used, increasing the risk of dental caries and infectious diseases."
(May-June 1989; 56(3): 201-4, Residual contamination of toothbrushes by microorganisms)

Professor of Risk Analysis,
Harvard University School of Public Health:
"It may surprise you-or sicken you-to know that if your toothbrush is stored near the toilet, the chances are great that it is covered with E. coli bacteria. Each time you flush the toilet, bacteria disperse in the air in the form of tiny aerosol particles that can land on any surfaces within 6 feet."
(2002, Rodale Inc., p. 270, Thompson, Kimberly M., Overkill: How our nation's abuse of antibiotics and other germ killers is hurting your health and what you can do about it)

USA Today:
"4 out of 5 new toothbrushes straight out of the package are already contaminated."
(27 April 2000, http://216.239.51.100/search?q=cache:AreMjSo78KgC:www.usatoday.com/life/health/doctor, Your toothbrush may be a biohazard)

Boston University School of Medicine (as reported in the Wall Street Journal):
"The oral cavity is a prime location for bacteria to become systemic, through bleeding that occurs when you brush your teeth. Such infection triggers inflammation, which unleashes a cascade of molecular events that build up plaque and choke off arteries."
(30 September 2002, The Wall Street Journal, Bacteria Behind Gum Disease are Linked to Heart-Attack Risk)

Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General:
"Recently, research findings have pointed to possible associations between chronic oral infections and diabetes, heart and lung diseases, stroke, and low-birth weight, premature births."
(September 2000, p. vii, Preface from the Surgeon General, U.S. Public Health Service)

The University of Southern California:
"Studies show that bacteria and yeast microbes usually found only in the mouth can enter the bloodstream, a process that is associated with significantly increased heart disease risk."
(Winter 2002, p. 13, USC Health, Long in the Tooth)

ABC News:
"Oral bacteria enter your bloodstream through small tears in your gums."
(http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/MensHealth/menshealth_40.html, The Route of All Evil- Bad Diseases Can Start in Your Mouth)

University of Buffalo:
"Study of 1,372 people found that those with gum disease had triple the risk of heart attacks in a 10-year period."
(http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/MensHealth/menshealth_40.html, The Route of All Evil- Bad Diseases Can Start in Your Mouth)

Harvard Medical School:
"Chronically infected gums are linked to coronary heart disease."
(http://focus.hms.harvard.edu/1998/June19_1998/complete.html, Show Me Your Mouth, I'll Tell You About Your Heart)

Help us spread the word about our story. Go Germ Terminator!

A sanitized toothbrush just makes sense.

Wishing you longevity in excellent health,

Adi Song
President