Toothbrush Bristle Guide: How to Find the Best Toothbrush for You

If you're someone who suffers from oral health problems, you're not alone.

In fact, one in four adults in the US suffers from tooth decay. And, 46 percent of adults over the age of 30 show signs of gum disease.

To improve your oral health, you should make sure you're visiting the dentist twice per year as well as brushing and flossing regularly. If you're already doing all of this but still dealing with issues, then the products you're using may be to blame.

In particular, you need to make sure you're using the right toothbrush for your mouth.

But, how do you know that you're using the right toothbrush?

Check out this toothbrush bristle guide to find out.

Soft vs Hard Bristle

The first consideration when purchasing a toothbrush is whether you should buy one with soft bristles or hard bristles. There's also extra soft and medium softness to consider, so how are you supposed to decide which one is right for you?

Let's take a look at what each bristle strength means:

Extra Soft

An extra-soft toothbrush is actually a specialty brush, and you therefore won't be able to find it at your local drugstore.

If you suffer from gingivitis, receding gums, or periodontitis, then you may benefit from the gentleness of the extra soft bristles. However, make sure you check with your dentist or periodontist before you purchase one of these toothbrushes to see if it's really necessary.

Your dentist can also teach you the proper technique for brushing with extra soft bristles.

Soft

When it comes to choosing between a soft brush and a hard brush, many people assume that a hard brush is necessary to clean the teeth properly.

However, this isn't the case, as a soft toothbrush can clean just as well, if not better than, a hard toothbrush.

Because of this, a soft bristle toothbrush is the one that is preferred and recommended by most dentists.

To make sure you're cleaning your teeth properly with your soft brush, make sure to use circular strokes and angle the bristles toward the gum line.

Medium

Medium-strength bristles achieve very similar results as soft bristles do. However, you have a higher risk of damaging your gums with a medium-strength bristle toothbrush.

Therefore, you should choose soft over medium unless a medium is recommended by your dentist.

Hard

Last but not least we have hard-bristled toothbrushes. As we've already mentioned, you can remove the same amount of plaque with a soft-bristled toothbrush as you can with a hard one. But, you have a much greater chance of damaging your gums with a hard-bristled toothbrush.

Hard bristles can also chip away at your tooth enamel over time.

So, to make sure you're removing the stubborn plaque on your teeth, it's best to schedule an appointment with your dentist every 6 months.

Other Considerations When Buying a Toothbrush

In addition to the bristle strength, there are some other things you should keep in mind when buying a toothbrush. These include:

Electric-Powered vs Manual

More and more people are switching over to electric-powered toothbrushes and for a good reason.

While you can technically achieve the same results with a manual toothbrush as you would with an electric, this is only if you use the exact proper technique when brushing your teeth with a manual.

The great thing about an electric-powered toothbrush is that it takes the guesswork out of the technique by creating the circular motions for you.

Some electric toothbrushes even come with different settings so that you can be extra gentle on sensitive areas and tougher on areas with stubborn plaque build-up.

Another huge benefit of electric toothbrushes is that a lot of them come with built-in timers.

Dentists recommend that we spend a full two minutes brushing our teeth two times per day. Yet, most of us fall short of this recommendation. In fact, the average time people spend brushing their teeth is 45 seconds.

Of course, if you have a manual toothbrush, you can always set a timer on your phone. But, having a timer built-in can make it especially nice, as it means you never have to think about it.

Lastly, keep in mind that if you wear braces or you suffer from a condition that causes limited mobility (such as arthritis), an electric toothbrush is definitely the better option.

Shape and Size

Another crucial factor to consider when purchasing a toothbrush is the shape.

Basically, the handle of the toothbrush should be easy to maneuver so that you can brush those hard to reach places in your mouth with ease.

A flexible handle will also make it easier for you to clean the post exterior areas of your mouth, and it will help prevent excess trauma while brushing.

In terms of size, you want to make sure that the head of the toothbrush can easily fit into your mouth and that you can brush one or two teeth at a time. In general, you want to look for a head that's about 1 inch long and a half of an inch wide.

Handle

Last but not least, you want to consider the toothbrush handle when purchasing.

You want to make sure that you can fit the handle comfortably in your hand.

It's also important to remember that the grip of the brush will be a big factor in terms of how well you can brush your teeth. So, make sure you are comfortable with the brush's grip before buying.

Toothbrush Bristle Guide: Are You Ready to Buy a New Brush?

Now that you've read this toothbrush bristle guide, you should have a better idea of what you need to look for when buying your next toothbrush.

Also, if you liked this article, be sure to check back in with our blog for more dental hygiene tips and tricks.