Which Toothbrush?

A recent study suggested that expensive toothbrushes are no better than conventional toothbrushes. The study is referring to a comparison of MANUAL toothbrushes only, not electric or battery operated ones. Although, I had a couple of “mind-snags” with the study (mostly, that the study was only performed on children of a certain age), I did agree with some of their conclusions:

1.) A conventional, simple toothbrush design is capable of being just as effective as one with more “bells and whistles”.

2.) Dexterity, frequency, and duration of brushing were much more important factors than the style of toothbrush.

I couldn’t agree more with the 2^nd statement. If you are a bad brusher, a new fancy toothbrush alone will not fix that.

So what toothbrush do I recommend? Here’s my checklist:

• Get one with soft-bristles. Harder bristles often cause gum recession, tooth wear, and sensitivity.

• When in doubt, choose one with a smaller head. This will ensure access to even the tighter spaces in your mouth. Also, a smaller head forces you to focus on smaller areas at a time, which should lead to a more thorough technique.
  
  
• Most importantly...pick one that you like. Simple or fancy…it doesn’t really matter, but what does matter is that you actually use it! Maybe you have a hard time with your hands and you like the fancy gel-grip toothbrush…great! Maybe you love that your toothbrush lights up and plays music when you use it…perfect!

What about electric toothbrushes? Are they worth it?

As I’ve said before, if you are a bad brusher, a new toothbrush alone will not change that. I encourage people to use electric toothbrushes in two situations:

1. Dexterity issues – This is commonly seen in children, elderly, and/or those suffering from a condition, such as arthritis, that can cause difficulty using your hands. Anyone who is having trouble with their hands and the motions needed to brush properly could benefit from the additional motion that an electric brush would provide.
2. Motivational issues – This goes back to my checklist.“Pick one that you like.”If an electric toothbrush will help motivate you to brush better and more often, then “yes!”, definitely get one!