Manual Toothbrushes: What is the Best Toothbrush Option for me
The function of a toothbrush is to maintain oral hygiene by removing plaque, bacteria, food and debris from the teeth and at the gum line. Toothbrushes are a mechanical way of controlling and removing the plaque build-up. That’s the easy part.The hard part is choosing which one is a right fit. And, oh my, there are many to choose from. Preference and suitability is the way to chose. The best toothbrush is the one that fits your mouth and reaches all the teeth. There are many brands and styles with multiple features.
Bristle Firmness
Extra-soft, soft, medium, hard
Types of Bristles
Nylon, Polyester or natural bristles which tend to be boar’s hair
Bristle Patterns
Block, multilevel, crisscross, polishing, wavy or V-shape
Handle Design
Straight, angled, curved, thin, thick, contoured with grips and soft rubber areas
Sizes
15 mm, 19 mm, 22 mm, 25 mm
Shapes
Diamond, rectangular
What to look for when choosing a toothbrush
- Soft or extra soft bristles
- Angles of the bristles to be able to get all teeth and gums well
- Size of the brush head, if you have a smaller mouth or crowded teeth a smaller toothbrush head will be more effective. If you have a larger mouth a bigger toothbrush head will be more effective
- Size of the handle, for grip issues a larger handle is more comfortable in general. If there are any dexterity issues from medical conditions a larger handle is most beneficial
It’s important to replace your toothbrush every three months or after having a cold or illness, since the bristles can collect bacteria and lead to infection or re-infection. Also, when the bristles are worn and frayed. If the bristles fray easily and quickly, that could be a sign that there’s aggressive scrubbing of the teeth. Frayed bristles are useless, it’s the firm tip of the bristles that do the cleaning. When the bristles are bent and the abundance of the cleaning is dependent on the side of the bristles, your teeth are being not cleaned.
