Tips on choosing a toothbrush. An electric toothbrush or a manual toothbrush should have soft bristles and be approved by the ADA. That's a hot topic right now. The big controversy is whether you should...
That's a hot topic right now. The big controversy is whether you should buy an electric brush, a handheld brush, or whatever. The most important thing you need to do is buy one that's comfortable to hold, that fits in your mouth, and that has the ADA (American Dental Association) seal on it, meaning it has been independently tested to live up to the claims on the package.
It's important with a manual toothbrush to make sure the bristles are straight. The bristles typically stay straight for about three months. If the bristles are nice and straight, they'll do just as a good job as a more expensive electric toothbrush would do.
Now the real question is, are you a good brusher and you are going to take the time with a manual toothbrush to go all around every tooth surface to completely remove plaque, and are you going to floss? If you are, a regular manual toothbrush is just fine for you. People with arthritis, for example, have a hard time holding on to things and may actually need an electric toothbrush. (They may also want to use an inter-dental cleaning aid rather than floss. It's something like a Christmas tree shaped brush that's tiny enough to go between your teeth all the way through cleaning each side of both teeth.) There are a lot of patients who are perfectly able to handle a manual toothbrush, but they absolutely love the electric toothbrushes, because they feel like they are getting tough areas a little bit better. Just pick the brush that's right for you.
There is one important rule when picking any type of toothbrush: don't get one with hard bristles. Some people like hard bristles, because they feel like they are able to clean things off better. The reality is that you need that brush that bends to go underneath your gums and between your teeth about 1-3 mm. Hard bristles don't do that very well, and they can even cause some wear on your teeth.
