Buying a toothbrush: what should you pay attention to?

Buying a toothbrush: there are many different types of toothbrushes. Hard and softer brushes, electric or manual toothbrush, a large or small head and the number of bristles. How do you make the right choice and where do you buy a toothbrush?

What is a toothbrush?

A toothbrush is indispensable for daily dental care; The teeth and molars, but also the tongue, are cleaned with a toothbrush. A toothbrush is a brush on a handle, the handle, designed to brush the teeth. In most cases this is done together with toothpaste, a slightly abrasive agent.

Types of toothbrushes

There are many different types of toothbrushes. Which one is most suitable depends on personal preference and the condition of the teeth and gums.

A multi-tufted toothbrush contains many clumps of hair that are densely packed together. These offer the best chance of good cleaning. An end-tufted toothbrush only has a single tuft of hair and is more suitable for cleaning in hard-to-reach places.

The manual toothbrush is the most well-known and relatively cheap. It is easy to carry and you can have several of them at home because of the cheap price. It is easy to clean the teeth, provided it is done at least twice a day for two minutes. Sometimes hard-to-reach places are more difficult with a manual toothbrush, especially behind the back molars. An electric toothbrush cleans better than a manual toothbrush because it makes a large number of movements per minute. The small, usually round head ensures that hard-to-reach places can be thoroughly cleaned.

A hard toothbrush is not necessarily worse for your teeth, provided it is used carefully. A soft toothbrush that is worn and damaged can cause more damage than a good hard toothbrush. However, a soft toothbrush is recommended, because people tend to push too hard when using a manual toothbrush, which damages the enamel and gums.

Buy a toothbrush

When buying a toothbrush, it is best to pay attention to a number of things:

• Electric or manual toothbrush: it is often useful to have both at home
• A head that is not too large, a round head works best
• Softer bristles were preferred
• The handle should fit comfortably in your hand, so that you do not cramp
• The bristles should be even and rounded
• Bristles that are in groups are best

The toothbrush should be replaced every three months, sometimes earlier or later. Keep an eye on the brush: when the bristles on the outside become crooked or when the hair ends start to wear, it is time for a new brush or brush head.

Where do you buy a toothbrush?

You can order a toothbrush online, via a website. But stores also sell sufficient toothbrushes. The electric toothbrush is available at drugstores and many electrical and household stores. The manual toothbrush is available at drugstores and supermarkets. The cheapest brushes are often very simple with a head that is sometimes too large. The more expensive brushes have a design, an easy-to-use handle, and are sometimes equipped with long and shorter hairs in one brush. The idea behind this is that you brush the gums with the long bristles and the tooth surface with the short bristles. The disadvantage of this is that many people actually push harder with the toothbrush to allow the short bristles to touch the tooth surface. A brush with bristles of equal length is therefore better and just as effective.

To notice

It does not matter much which brand of toothbrush is purchased. The most important thing is the brushing method: a very expensive toothbrush will have no effect at all if the brushing method is poor. Some well-known brands of manual toothbrushes are:

• Lactona
• Vitis
• Oral-B
• Colgate
• Meridol
• Aquafresh
• TePe
• Sensodyne
• Elmex
• Eraser

And some brands of well-known electric brushes:

• Braun
• Phillips
• Oral-B

Which brand someone chooses depends on which brand he or she likes, the budget, the appearance of the brush and the experiences of others. Well-selling brands are often well-known brands, so people automatically assume that this toothbrush also works best. But as said before: you have to learn how to brush properly, a toothbrush does not do it by itself.