San Jose Dental Blog: What to look for when choosing a Toothbrush
There’s quite a large selection of toothbrushes to pick from out there. It can even be overwhelming at time. It’s no wonder with terms like pro-flex, contour, advanced, vivid, full head, power, dual clean, and more coming out every time you’re looking for a new brush. However, the most important factors to look for are soft bristles and bristles with rounded edges.
Contrary to popular belief, hard bristles and brushing hard will not remove more plaque. In fact, this can cause more problems for your teeth as you may end up brushing away enamel. Enamel is the protective layer that surrounds your teeth. Hard bristles also have a nasty habit of irritating sensitive gums. So when looking for a new toothbrush, look for soft bristles. When brushing, focus more on technique rather than strength.
Although you may want to choose the highest priced toothbrush on the shelf, price is not usually an indicator of quality. Instead of looking at price, look closely at the bristles. You want to pick a brush that has soft, rounded bristles. Sharp bristles can cause unwanted damage to your teeth and tissues around your teeth.
Remember, at the end of the day, the best choice in toothbrushes is the one you’re going to use and regularly replace. According to dentist, you should replace your toothbrush once every three months or after any major illness. You don’t want to share your toothbrush with anyone else as you’ll be sharing your germs as well. Old, worn out toothbrushes are less effective at cleaning your teeth. Studies have shown regularly replacing your toothbrush every three months can remove up to 30% more plaque from your teeth.
Once you have your new toothbrush, be sure to find a safe place to store it. Don’t keep it in an open container near the toilet. Tiny particles and other contaminants can find their way to your toothbrush every time you flush. We just went over not sharing germs with your loved ones, so I’m sure you wouldn’t want to share them with your toilet either. Generally, a closed plastic container is your best option.
How often should you brush with your new toothbrush? The best answer is after every meal, but if you find it inconvenient or difficult to find a place to brush that many times a day, a good goal to shoot for is at least twice a day – once in the morning and once after dinner or before bed.
Although this article covers manual toothbrushes, you may want to consider an electric toothbrush with soft, rounded bristles. If you can afford the upgrade, it may be worth the investment – especially if you suffer from gingivitis. Electric toothbrushes have been shown to be slightly more effective at removing plaque from your teeth when compared to manual toothbrushes.
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