The choice of toothbrush, whether it’s an electric or traditional toothbrush, is extremely important: there is no right and wrong toothbrush… what matters is choosing it according to your needs, the state of health of your teeth and, of course, even to your own tastes. For example, sensitive teeth don’t like a stiff-bristled toothbrush; similarly, even in the presence of gingivitis or pyorrhoea, the toothbrush should be extremely delicate. Even after major dental work – be it a tooth extraction or an apicectomy for the treatment of granulomas ,dental abscess or cyst – it is important to use a soft bristle toothbrush until the wound is completely closed.
Its size is also important: an ideal toothbrush should be small enough to be able to reach all tooth surfaces.
Before proceeding with the description, it is important to dwell briefly on the structural characteristics of a toothbrush. This important dental cleaning tool consists of:
- HEAD: the upper part equipped with cleaning bristles
- HANDLE: the handle of the toothbrush
Toothbrush head
Let’s get to the point: what are the criteria for choosing the right toothbrush?
- Choice of brush head: To make cleaning the teeth easier, a toothbrush head should be quite small: approximately, the size of the head should not exceed 2.5 cm in length and there should be no more than 4 tufts of bristles in width. Another important feature is the shape of the toothbrush head, which should be rounded and have no sharp edges to avoid traumatizing the gums and palate . Furthermore, do not forget that the toothbrush head should not have cracks in the area where the tufts of bristles are attached: this is to prevent bacteriato nestle among the bristles. As mentioned, some toothbrushes are equipped with a special tongue cleaner behind the head; others, on the other hand, are equipped with special rubber or latex fins on the sides of the head, whose function is to massage the gums during tooth brushing.
Some toothbrushes are equipped with a flexible head, to ensure more effective cleaning (especially in the tongue and palate area). The flexible head favors the perfect adaptation of the toothbrush bristles even on the jagged surface of the molars.
- Choice of toothbrush bristles:
NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC BRISTLES
It is a good rule to avoid using natural bristle brushes: in fact, these not only risk damaging the gums, but also retain bacteria inside them, thus increasing the chances of developing caries . You should therefore prefer a toothbrush with artificial bristles, able to effectively improve cleaning and facilitate brushing. The table schematically shows the advantages and disadvantages of natural and synthetic bristles.
| Why avoid a natural bristle toothbrush | Why prefer a synthetic bristle toothbrush |
| · Natural bristles tend to break and come off easily
· They hold the bacteria inside them more easily · They are made up of organic material which, in contact with water , tends to ferment and rot · The bristles stay moist · They are very irregular and of different diameters · The tip is not rounded but jagged · Being hollow, the natural bristles retain food residues inside them, thus fueling the development of bacteria |
· Artificial bristles do not break easily
· They are firmly inserted into the brush head · The diameter of the artificial bristles is uniform · They can be rounded at the tip (essential feature to avoid scratching the dental enamel ) · They are not hollow → they do not collect bacteria or food residues inside them · They do not absorb water · They dry quickly |
HARDNESS OF THE TOOTHBRUSH BRISTLES
Particularly suitable are toothbrushes equipped with heads formed by distinct tufts of bristles with rounded tips. By ” medium toothbrush ” we mean a toothbrush with medium bristles (diameter of the synthetic fibers between 0.2 and 0.25 mm): in general, medium bristles are the most requested on the market. It should not be forgotten, however, that the soft bristles , capable of brushing the teeth as if they were feathers, are particularly indicated in case of dentinal hypersensitivity . The delicacy of the soft bristles reduces the risk of damaging the tooth enamel and irritating the gums. Toothbrushes with stiff bristles, on the other hand, particularly resistant and tenacious in brushing, are not suitable for all types of teeth. It is strongly recommended to avoid using these brushes in case of gingivitis, gum retraction and sensitive teeth.
Today, on the market, there are numerous types of heads: the arrangement of the tufts of bristles can be such as to form a uniform, wavy, domed or multi-level cleaning surface. Each person can choose the most appropriate toothbrush for their needs or personal tastes.
- Choosing the handle of the toothbrush: the handle of the toothbrush is also very important to simplify dental cleaning. There are some “non-slip” models, indicated to make it easier to grip the tool and prevent the toothbrush from hitting the gums by “slipping” from the hands during brushing. The handle of the toothbrush is generally made of plastic, an important feature to ensure that it is impervious to moisture. The handle can be straight or slightly curved, in order to facilitate thumb rest or to encourage deeper cleaning of the teeth. Particularly thick or curved handles can help people with some form of disability.
- Shape and colorsof the toothbrush can be chosen according to your needs.
Ideal toothbrush
An ideal toothbrush should possess the following characteristics:
- Suitable for each person’s needs in terms of shape, size and structure
- Excellent functional properties: effective in removing food debris and plaquefrom the tooth surface and interdental spaces, easy to glide, easy to handle
- Gentle on the gums
- Durable and low cost
- Short head with numerous tufts of synthetic bristles with rounded tips
- Comfortable and non-slip handle
- It should not contain latex (ideal feature to allow latex allergy sufferersto use the toothbrush)
- Odorless
- Tasteless
