Selecting a Toothbrush

By Joseph Devine

In the aisle that houses dental care supplies of many drug stores, between the toothpaste and mouth wash lives a menagerie of plastic, rubber, and nylon. You have spent over three months with the current keeper of your crowns, and it is now time to part ways with your old plaque protector and get a new toothbrush. How will you ever make the decision among the millions of different bristles, rotating heads, and cartoon themed handles? Here are a few tips that make picking out a toothbrush a simple choice.

The beauty of good bristles

The single most important aspect of a toothbrush is its ability to help keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy. So when shopping for a new toothbrush, the thing to take note of are the bristles, which is what actually does the cleaning. General rule of thumb that will work for most mouths: bristles should be

· Soft

· Nylon

· Have round heads

This is very important because using a brush with bristles that are too hard can actually damage or hurt your gums and cause them to bleed.

From its head to your mouth

Have you ever notice how dentist tools are pretty small? There is a reason for that. Your mouth is full of tiny crevices and nooks that can be difficult to reach and get into. You want to select a toothbrush that will allow you to get all the way in there. The brush head needs to be small enough, approximately 1" by 1/2", for easy access to all of those hard-to-reach areas of the mouth.

To buzz or not to buzz

There is no scientific evidence or proof to support that electric toothbrushes are more efficient at removing plaque from teeth than manual brushing by hand. They are a good way to motivate some reluctant brushers, i.e. children, to brush their teeth. They can also be very useful for people with limited dexterity, such as disabled or elderly people, as well as people with braces.

For more information on how to select a toothbrush, the correct method for brushing your teeth, or simply to speak with a Chicago family dentist, contact Dr. Bagai at www.drbagai.com

Joseph Devine

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