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Medical Forum / General / Dentistry / February 2006Questions about choosing a toothbrush
I decided it doesn't make sense to economise on a toothbrush because I'd only need one every 3 months and at this rate and price it really, really doesn't make sense to consider how much it costs. So, the questions are... 1. Does it make a difference whether I get an expensive toothbrush or a cheap one? Is a toothbrush just a toothbrush? 2. Is it better to get a plain toothbrush in which all the fibres are in the same direction and same length, or is it better to get one of those cross-action or whatever they call them, I forgot, in which the fibres are arranged in different directions and have different lengths. 3. Does it matter whether I get soft, medium or hard? 4. Is an electric toothbrush any good? Last time I tried one I didn't like it at all. > I decided it doesn't make sense to economise on a toothbrush because > I'd only need one every 3 months and at this rate and price it really, [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > 1. Does it make a difference whether I get an expensive toothbrush or a > cheap one? Is a toothbrush just a toothbrush? The general rule-of-thumb is that a SOFT toothbrush with rounded bristles is best. > 2. Is it better to get a plain toothbrush in which all the fibres are > in the same direction and same length, or is it better to get one of > those cross-action or whatever they call them, I forgot, in which the > fibres are arranged in different directions and have different lengths. I don't think it matters much. Brushing technique is much more important than the actual toothbrush (or toothpaste, for that matter). > 3. Does it matter whether I get soft, medium or hard? Yes. The general advice these days is that hard and many medium toothbrushes are too abrasive, and could damage your gums. Get a soft one. > 4. Is an electric toothbrush any good? Last time I tried one I didn't > like it at all. HIgh-end models (like Oral-B 3D and Sonicare) are very good, and tend to outperform manual brushes (depending on brushing technique; if you find manual toothbrushes difficult, or if you apply too much pressure using them, a high-end electric brush is an excellent choice). Lower-end electric toothbrushes (like the ones you get in supermarkets) tend not to "perform" as well as manual toothbrushes. So if you're looking at electric, make sure you spend the extra money to get a good one. > > I decided it doesn't make sense to economise on a toothbrush because > > I'd only need one every 3 months and at this rate and price it really, [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > The general rule-of-thumb is that a SOFT toothbrush with rounded > bristles is best. Hello, thanks for the answer. I'm not arguing but just discussing. How would i know if they have rounded bristles, don't they all? I also noticed that most toothbrushes on sale are medium and it's harder to find a soft one. Also, I had some experience with a soft toothbrush over the past few months and my experience with it has not been good, it doesn't clean well, after I brush with it, though with good attention and length of time, I end up scraping the tooth with my nail and finding some of this gooey white stuff that's possibly food remnants on in my nail. I just switched to a medium and found it far better at removing this stuff, I scrape the surface of the tooth and there's none of it on or under my nail after I brush and then test. > > 2. Is it better to get a plain toothbrush in which all the fibres are > > in the same direction and same length, or is it better to get one of [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > toothbrushes are too abrasive, and could damage your gums. Get a soft > one. Is it too abrasive to the teeth too? I don't mind it being abrasive to the gum itself because it regenerates itself, but I worry about the teeth. > > 4. Is an electric toothbrush any good? Last time I tried one I didn't > > like it at all. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > looking at electric, make sure you spend the extra money to get a good > one. Regards and many thanks. I like my sonic care. Its hard to get used to because it tickles.... bu once you start using it for a week you feel like all other toothbrushe do not offer such a clean feeling when your done brushing... And I onc thought electric toothbrushes were worthless -- jshafer81 A+ N+ MCP2000 Microsoft Certified Professional and Red Hat Linu Certified Technician Justin Shafer Onsite Dental Systems Fort Worth, TX. 817909422 > > The general rule-of-thumb is that a SOFT toothbrush with rounded > > bristles is best. > > Hello, thanks for the answer. I'm not arguing but just discussing. Sorry, didn't mean to shout there (it was supposed to be emphasized - make that *soft* :-)). > How would i know if they have rounded bristles, don't they all? Quite possibly. All the major brands, anyway. Though it might be possible that some discount stores sell ones without rounded bristles, so I thought I'd mention it. > I also > noticed that most toothbrushes on sale are medium and it's harder to > find a soft one. True. The hard ones are sold for psychological effect. Also, I had some experience with a soft toothbrush > over the past few months and my experience with it has not been good, > it doesn't clean well, after I brush with it, though with good [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > better at removing this stuff, I scrape the surface of the tooth and > there's none of it on or under my nail after I brush and then test. I'd have to agree with you there. Then again, I'm not particularly dextrous, so I switched to electric (before you ask - I'm not a dentist, lol :-)). I've been assured that soft brushes work perfectly with the right technique... > Is it too abrasive to the teeth too? >From what I can gather, it depends on the brushing technique... some people apply too much pressure (you can often see that on canine/eye teeth, for example, if there's a little "nick" at the gumline). I found that I applied too much pressure even with the Oral-B 3D, and switched to Sonicare, which is very easy to get right. toothbrush? I like them soft and small Cheers! Gabe >> > The general rule-of-thumb is that a SOFT toothbrush with rounded >> > bristles is best. [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > that I applied too much pressure even with the Oral-B 3D, and switched > to Sonicare, which is very easy to get right. |
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