How do you go about choosing a toothbrush? Sometimes, it’s not easy. There are a lot of choices out there when it comes to purchasing a toothbrush, which makes it difficult to know what to look for.
General tips on what to look for:
- Small brush head and well-designed bristles: Choose a toothbrush with a small brush head and a bristle design that helps you to get to the hard-to-reach places of your mouth.
- Soft bristles: Your toothbrush should have soft bristles that are gentle on your teeth and gums.
- Comfortable handle: Many toothbrushes have non-slip grips which make them easy to use even if wet.
Knowing the three types of power toothbrushes
The three types of power toothbrushes on the market are rechargeable electric (including sonic), regular manual and battery power.
Rechargeable electric toothbrush: A rechargeable electric toothbrush, also known as a “power toothbrush” is the kind you plug into the wall to recharge, keeping the handle and replacing the brush head every three months. Rechargeable electric toothbrushes differ among the kind of cleaning technology they use, such as oscillating-rotating (3D Cleaning Action) or sonic technology.
- Regular manual toothbrush: In contrast, regular manual toothbrushes are the basic toothbrushes you’re probably accustomed to with a plastic handle and various nylon bristle designs on the brush head. This is the most common type of toothbrush, and it doesn’t require any power sources.
- Battery power toothbrush: Those who want a dose of power but are weary of electric toothbrushes may like battery power toothbrushes. Like electric toothbrushes, battery power toothbrushes are sometimes simply called “power toothbrushes” due to their use of an AA battery. While similar in design to regular manual toothbrushes, battery power toothbrushes have just enough vibration to add some extra cleaning action.
Top Selling Toothbrushes on Amazon:
- Oral-B Pro 5000 SmartSeries: My dentist has been suggesting an electric toothbrush for years now and I’ve been hesitant. So this last visit I asked her the true benefits and after all, she said I knew it was time. This is the one they promote at my dentist’s office and was forever grateful as always to be able to get it here at Amazon for a discounted price. Now for the toothbrush. Honestly, once you go electric you will never go back to manual. The clean feeling you get is amazing. My Pro 5000 came with a “floss action” brush head which I sometimes use but I also purchased a pack of sensitive heads. I have very sensitive teeth and gums and have always used ultra-sensitive manual toothbrushes. To be honest it has taken me a while to figure out the best way to use the brush for me. I always brush longer than 2 minutes so the timer is a must to have but I know I am brushing at least 2 minutes every time.
- Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4100: For those who are too aggressive with brushing (receding gums) the 4100 has a somewhat unique feature that alerts when too much pressure is applied. This feature is built into the handle and is not connected or associated with the brush head sensor in any way. This feature can be directly observed by taking the brush head off and applying light pressure to the handle’s metal insertion stem while the handle is switched on. There will be a noticeable change in tone and vibration.
- Waterpik Complete Care Water Flosser and Sonic Toothbrush: I finally decided to invest in braces at 26 years old and was told how important it was to floss every single day. I started flossing the first day with them on and it took me 40 minutes to do a thorough job. The next few weeks I was able to get it down to about 20 minutes which wasn’t bad but my hand hurt and that is pretty time consuming with three kids running around! I have quite a few friends and co-workers who had braces and highly recommended that I invest in a Waterpik because it “saved their life”. I recommend that you start on one of the lowest settings and work your way up to the more intense ones because otherwise, it will feel like a pressure washer on your gums…ouch! Make sure your lips are closed and push the pause button if you need to adjust angles otherwise you will have a water mess. I also love that the electric toothbrush has a 2-minute timer that pauses every 30 seconds so you know when to switch to another quadrant of your mouth. I am so glad that I bought this and will definitely recommend it to friends in the future!
Talk to Your Dentist
Since you have so many toothbrush options, it’s always a good idea to talk to your Tri-Cities Dentist about the type of toothbrush you should use. If you’re not sure whether you can benefit from your current toothbrush, ask Dr. Antonio Lopez-Ibarra are Tri-City Dental Care in Kennewick WA if it’s time to add a quality toothbrush to your oral health care routine. You can also call 509-579-0759.
