Best Toothbrush
Every dentist I have ever heard speak on the
subject, and every dental organization with something to say, says that
soft is the best toothbrush. So, I used to get the obvious
question from patients. If soft is clearly recommended by dentists, why do stores sell hard toothbrushes? The answer is simple: because people buy them.
There are some companies that as a matter
of principle do not make any medium or hard toothbrushes—just
soft ones. I commend them for their integrity. Butler and Oral B are
two such companies, and they both make excellent brushes.
There are a lot of brushing techniques taught by dentists, hygienists, and dental assistants, and all of them are taught with the utmost zeal. One tells you to brush in little circles. Another tells you to go down to the gum and brush up. Others tell you to start at the top and brush down to the gums. Instead of going fanatical on a technique, what I'd like to teach you are the basic principles.
What you're trying to do is clean in the cracks and
crevices. You see, your mouth has natural cleaning mechanisms. Your
tongue, lips, and cheeks rub against the teeth and tend to clean the broad
surfaces quite well. Think back to the tooth
decay you've had. Has it ever been on
broad flat smooth surfaces of your teeth? No. I wasn't there, but I can
tell you that over 99 chances out of 100, they weren't. They were in the
cracks, pits, crevices, and between your teeth. And
gum disease is caused by plaque that
nestles at the base of the tooth, right in the sulcus between your teeth
and gums. So, my advice is not to
get too excited about circles or up-and-down motions. There are various
motions you can use to clean your teeth, and I don't think the direction
you brush really makes a difference. Just be sure that you work the
bristles into the cracks and crevices. Beyond that, I urge that you brush
systematically so that you clean every surface of every tooth. Pay special
attention to the inside of the lower molars—that's
the place people miss the
| most. Around
1980, the Reach toothbrush was invented. It broke new ground by
featuring an angle to the head and contoured bristles that made it
easy for the brush to reach into the crevice between the gum and the
tooth. Now, nearly every manufacturer has copied that basic design,
and I feel this is the best toothbrush design.
|
The original Reach toothbrush
design—with the angled head and contoured bristles. Notice that the bristles on the sides are longer than those in the middle. This helps guide the toothbrush into the sulcus between the teeth and the gums. |
Studies
done in the 1980s showed that the Reach toothbrush, in the hands of
the average brusher, removed more plaque than brushes with the
conventional straight design. Since then, most major manufacturers
have incorporated this contoured design into their line.
|
A new Oral B toothbrush, with the longer bristles on the sides. |
And soft. You've got to have soft. The bristles need to
be able to flex easily so they will get into those cracks and crevices. If
they're stiff, they won't go into those places. Or, if you do force them
into the crevices, they will damage your gums. Soft, only soft.
Also, it is surprising to many people to hear that
chewing gum is actually an excellent second
choice for cleaning your teeth when you aren't able to brush. But it's
true. Chewing gum gets your saliva flowing, and saliva has great cleaning
properties. But use sugarless gum, of course.
