Choosing the Right Toothbrush

Your oral health routine starts and ends with choosing the right toothbrush for yourself. So how do you know if you are using the correct toothbrush to get the most out of your daily oral care?

Some basic guidelines for choosing the right toothbrush:-

It can be divided into the following categories:-

Bristles

Always go for soft-bristle brushes. Many people feel that medium or hard bristles are more effective in scrubbing your teeth, but in reality, teeth don’t need to be scrubbed at all. Hard bristles end up wearing away enamel over time and pull the gums away from the teeth, which causes sensitivity and also causes cavities along the gum line. Instead, ask your dentist for the correct toothbrushing technique to make your soft-bristle brush more effective.

If you brush with a lot of pressure, you can even consider an extra soft-bristle brush

Length

People wrongly assume that a toothbrush with a smaller head is for children and that larger heads are for adults. The best toothbrush size is the one that allows easy access to all your teeth and helps you effectively clean hard-to-reach areas of the mouth as well.

Powered Toothbrushes

Studies show that there’s no real difference in the brushing efficacy of a powered toothbrush versus a manual one, but they found that the motivation for effective brushing was more in people using powered toothbrushes. This means that even if you’re using a manual brush and you’re cleaning your mouth thoroughly, you’re good to go. But if feel like you’re unable to do a thorough job with your regular brush, consider switching to a powered one.

Powered toothbrushes are of 2 varieties- rotatory and vibratory. You can ask your dentist to help you decide which suits you best. Powered brushes are especially useful for people with dexterity issues.

Electric brushes do have a lot of additional features which help you up your oral hygiene game. Most come with a timer to ensure you spend a whole 2 mins or more while brushing.

Some come with a pressure sensor to help you identify if you’re brushing with too much pressure

Kids variety of electric toothbrushes have cartoons and music to help them optimize an oral hygiene routine from an early age. There are also apps on your phone which sync with toothbrushes to add to the joy and teach good technique

Many electric toothbrushes also claim their vibratory action is an effective gum massage as well.

Few pointers

Remember to change your toothbrush every 3 months or if it wear out quickly, whichever is sooner. Also change your toothbrush after you fall sick.

If you are using a disposable manual toothbrush, consider making the switch to a more ecofriendly, recyclable bamboo toothbrush.     

In the end, the best brush for you is the one you’ll use regularly and properly.