As we all know, maintaining good oral hygiene is important for our overall health. Therefore, choosing the right toothbrush, an indispensable tool for maintaining oral health, is an important part of the oral care process. However, given the amount of marketing information about toothbrushes in modern society, buying a toothbrush can sometimes be a nightmare for you. You may encounter difficulties such as having little knowledge of the differences between different types of toothbrushes and not knowing what to care about most when choosing a toothbrush.
What kind of toothbrush is good? As more and more novel features are added to the toothbrushes in the market each year, choosing the right toothbrush seems to become more and more time-consuming and difficult. In this article, we’ll briefly introduce the differences between all kinds of toothbrushes to help you distinguish between what’s good and what’s gimmicky so that you can know what you’re looking for and can make the choice that best suits your situation. Read on for more information.
General Recommendations
Perhaps you are familiar with traditional toothbrushes. With the change in people’s aesthetics and the pursuit of fashion, the appearance design of toothbrushes has ushered in continuous prosperity in recent years. Although the overall design of these traditional toothbrushes looks similar to each other, each has its characteristics. For most traditional toothbrushes, what you need to focus on when choosing is the head shape, bristle hardness, bristle type, handle size, and toothbrush quality.
Shape of head
The head of the toothbrush may take on different shapes, such as the oval, rectangle, diamond, etc. Rectangular brushes generally cover a large amount of surface area, but their disadvantage is that they can be difficult to handle when cleaning back molars. You can also choose a “diamond” head, these brushes are narrower at the back and front, so it’s easier to help clean corners when brushing. It’s worth noting that in most cases, smaller brush heads can reach those normally hard-to-reach areas at the back of the mouth and clean teeth more effectively, especially for children or people with small mouths.
Hardness of bristles
When choosing the right toothbrush, you should focus on the bristles. It’s important to choose a toothbrush with soft, rounded bristles. They can work in a gentle way to help remove small things like food scraps from your teeth. You may assume that hard bristles clean your teeth better than soft ones. However, this is not the case. According to the Canadian Dental Association, when brushing, hard bristles are likely to damage the enamel, causing your teeth to wear down and become sensitive. This is especially true if you brush too hard. Unfortunately, a lot of people do this.
Type of bristles
Choosing bristles with even lengths is recommended. The uniform “flat” design extends the life of the toothbrush by distributing pressure evenly across the gums and avoiding wear and tear caused by uneven bristles. It is better if the bristles have rounded tips, as this can help reduce irritation to the teeth.
Size of handle
Make sure to choose a toothbrush that is comfortable to hold and handle. You should choose a toothbrush with a handle that is large enough (it fits your hand without any discomfort or awkwardness when you grip it) for easy control.
Quality of products
When choosing a toothbrush, you may prefer to choose a toothbrush from a well-known brand. It is undeniable that many well-known brands have a long history, which virtually provides a guarantee for the quality of products. However, as long as you are familiar enough with the material of the toothbrush you want to buy and understand the customers’ evaluation of the brand, the fame of the brand is not necessarily the only criterion for selection. As long as you have a good experience, such as using the toothbrush without shedding hair, it is a sound investment in your health. If you are not sure which toothbrush to buy, perhaps your dentist can offer some advice at your next dental check-up and cleaning.
Electric toothbrushes
Although many studies have shown that both electric toothbrushes and manual toothbrushes are effective at cleaning teeth, if you have used a manual toothbrush for years and want to try something new or change, you may consider using an electric toothbrush. It mainly depends on your interests and preferences.
Some people prefer electric toothbrushes to manual ones because electric toothbrushes work well for people who don’t brush as long or cannot brush as thoroughly, especially children. In addition, people with disabilities or arthritis may find electric toothbrushes ideal, as they help with the difficulty of brushing teeth due to physical inconveniences. However, some people don’t like the feel of an electric toothbrush on their teeth or in their mouth. Cost is also taken into consideration as it is necessary to replace the brush head every three months in addition to the upfront cost.
The rotating and swinging action of an electric toothbrush helps provide a deeper, more efficient cleaning of the teeth and reduces the amount of work that must be done when brushing. But there are a lot of electric toothbrushes on the market today with all kinds of gimmicks to promote them. So how can you tell if the toothbrush is really good or just a publicity stunt?
Bristles and brush heads
A good electric toothbrush should have soft nylon rounded bristles, a small toothbrush head, and a single-layer “flat” design. And the toothbrushes on the market tend to use such gimmicks: medium/hard/ecological bristles, 3-month warning indicator, multi-layer/angled design, and “German bristles”. As mentioned above, medium or hard bristles can damage teeth, and “natural” or “eco-friendly” bristles are usually too harsh on teeth and gums. Many people think that the flashing light of the 3-month warning indicator will remind you to change your toothbrush, but the truth is that 90 percent of us forget it once we leave the house. So, the design is mostly just a gimmick. Next, don’t believe the hype about angled bristles, they tend to cause uneven wear. Finally, avoid buying a toothbrush with a label like “German Engineered bristles,” as this usually refers to almost all toothbrushes in the market.
Electric function
A good electric toothbrush should have a gentle vibration, a 2-minute timer, a 30-second guided pulse, and a pressure sensor. And the toothbrushes sold in the market often use such gimmicks: whitening and other patterns, revolutions per minute/stroke. Gentle vibrations help to remove impurities from the surface of the teeth, a 2-minute timer ensures you brush long enough, and a 30-second pulse helps to evenly guide the timely replacement of cleaned oral areas. However, the effectiveness of whitening and myriad modes is still debated and studied within the industry. Now, there’s a lot of evidence that if you brush your teeth properly, even with a simple toothbrush, you can maintain good oral health.
Other auxiliary design
A good electric toothbrush should be light and compact but have a delicate wall mount/shower seat design. But there are often such gimmicks in the market: provide a large capacity battery charging stand and so on. If you are a frequent business traveler and often face a rush out in the morning and a tired return late at night, it is necessary to choose a travel-friendly toothbrush to protect your oral health. However, the large capacity battery often means that this is a bulky “suitcase”. So, a small, lightweight, wall-mounted brush is easy to store on your shower or mirror, and easy to carry while traveling, incorporating oral care into your daily routine.
You are likely to be used to the phrase “brush your teeth twice a day.” However, the importance of brushing regularly and correctly cannot be overemphasized. Ultimately, the best toothbrush for you is the one you will use correctly regularly. Don’t leave your oral health to chance. Makesure you brush your teeth and make dental appointments regularly. If you have any questions about your toothbrush and toothpaste, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are at your service.