Have you ever approached the dental care aisle at a grocery or store such as Target or Wal-Mart? There’s an entire aisle dedicated to devices, pastes, and rinses that offer to revolutionize your at-home oral health care routine! There are two rather large sections dedicated to toothbrushes at our local store – one section for adults, one for kids. But how can a busy consumer possibly decide which toothbrush to choose?
Today, we’re going to focus on manual toothbrush selection. Although many fancy electric toothbrushes can help remove plaque and food from your teeth, manual toothbrushes are generally at a lower price point and approachable for everyone (and no batteries required!).
For both adult and children’s toothbrushes, when we’re staring dizzy-eyed at the rainbow of available toothbrushes, one of our main criteria is simple: simplicity! Yes, that’s right! With all the technological advances in product development, instead of the toothbrushes that offer multi-level bristles or plastic spikes designed to help remove more plaque, we look for plain, simple bristles. We also choose bristles that are soft, or ideally, extra soft (since manufacturers tend to over-estimate the true softness of their bristles). It would seem more logical that hard, stiff bristles will remove the plaque, but often the opposite is true because the stiff bristles do not contour to the shape of the teeth. Stiffer bristles can cause more damage to the gums, contributing to gum recession.
Our current favorite toothbrush, and the toothbrush we share with our patients, is the Nimbus brand Extra Soft toothbrush (available at our office, from Nimbus Dental, or on Amazon). Created by a periodontist (a dentist with advanced training, who specializes in gum treatment), Nimbus toothbrushes feature soft but durable bristles that last longer than typical toothbrushes, well-designed bristles with a taper on the end that lets the toothbrush to reach into tooth crevices and remove plaque well, and a comfortable, easy-to-hold handle. We also love the pretty, clean, translucent handle colors that look great in our bathroom! Many of our patients report that they are the best toothbrushes they have ever tried! (Note: We do not receive any type of financial compensation or incentives for recommending this brand – we just use them ourselves and love them so much, we would love everyone to experience them!).
Do you have more questions about the right toothbrush for you and your family? Please feel free to ask us the next time you’re at our Casa Grande office!