Choose the Best Assistant for Brushing Your Teeth

A good quality toothbrush is an essential and irreplaceable instrument for maintaining proper oral hygiene. In our times, toothbrush is a first necessity both for children and adults, but sometimes one can get confused when trying to decide what type of toothbrush could be the best. Frequently, people tend to choose the brush of the shape and color they like, the brush that is affordable, or the one of the most advertised brand. However, making a decision about the most effective toothbrush requires a very considered approach and some basic knowledge.
Every toothbrush has a handle and a working part – a head with bristles. Nowadays, an assortment of toothbrushes of different shapes and sizes of the head, hardness and length of the bristles, sizes and shapes of the handle, are offered in our market of dental care products. The head of the toothbrush can be straight or angled. For many decades, only natural material was used for the bristles, but recently it was proven that synthetic fibers (such as nylon, derlon, nerlon, polyurethane, etc.) are better for the most effective brushing as these materials are less sensitive to moisture and do not get broken easily.
It is possible to classify manual toothbrushes according to the hardness of the bristles as the following:

• Hard toothbrushes can be used only by those people whose teeth and gums are in a very good condition. These toothbrushes can do the most powerful massage of your gums.
• Medium toothbrushes can be used by the majority of people, especially by those who have never had any problem like bleeding gums.
• Soft toothbrushes can be used by children, pregnant women, as well as by the people who have periodontal disease, diabetes or other health problems.
• Extra soft toothbrushes can be used by people with serious dental problems.

Tips for choosing the best toothbrush:

• First of all, it is necessary to find a toothbrush with the head of proper size. Large toothbrushes can not access all the areas in your mouth, that is why you should prefer the brushes with smaller heads (around 1 inch in length and 1/2 inch in width).
• Another way to select the toothbrush of a good size is to be sure that its head does not cover more than three of your teeth.
• The best decision is to get a toothbrush with synthetic bristles since this material creates the least favorable environment for dangerous dental bacteria to develop.
• Choose a toothbrush with the head of rounded shape; otherwise, the brush can damage your gums.
• Hardness of the bristles must be selected taking into account the specifics of your teeth and gums.
• Choose a toothbrush with long and wide handle plated with rubber or other material for a firm and comfortable grasp.

Keep your toothbrush in an upright position in a safe and well-ventilated place. Do not put it into any case or holder, better keep it in a cup or use a special toothbrush protector. Do not forget to replace your toothbrush after two or three months of usage, when the bristles started looking worn out or when you recovered after any type of mouth infection. Also, you can sanitize your toothbrush once a week by placing it in hydrogen peroxide or in your dishwasher that runs at a temperature over 120 degrees (use dishwasher soap, not a liquid detergent).