Dra. Marcia Camacho

The myriad of brushes available on the market today is astounding. The variety of designs, shapes and special functions can be confusing when selecting a brush. While many of the designs may be well thought out, ultimately their goal is to improve sales and their design often responds to marketing trends rather than health concerns.

Selecting your brush

Size and Type

Brushes with a mere 2 or 3 rows are used to treat periodontal disease. These are used to clean bacterium that accumulates beneath the gums, which is the most damaging.

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Brushes with 4 to six rows are the most common type of brush available and are recommended for daily use. Brushes with angled bristles are fine if you like them.

Children should use smaller brushes that fit better. Large brushes can hurt and bruise the mouth of a child.

Braces: A good brush for those who use braces or other similar apparatus are the ones with shorter rows in the middle. This means that there is less abrasion on the bristles and the brush will last longer.

Hard, Normal, Medium, Soft ….. ?

There is no agreement and there are no studies that indicate how hard a brush should be. However, as general rule, dentists recommend medium or normal brushes, unless there should be a special reason for using a harder or softer brush.

Hard brushes are generally not recommended because they can damage the gums over the long term and even damage the enamel of the teeth.

Caring for your brush

• Do not share your brush with others. Exchanging bodily fluids increases your risk of getting infections.
• After brushing rinse your brush thoroughly in running water. Make sure you remove all the paste from the bristles. Let it dry in the open air and store it in an upright position with the bristles at the top. Avoid letting brushes make contact with each other.
• Leave your brush uncovered. Do not store it in containers for extended periods. The warmth and humidity will help bacteria grow and propagate.
• You do not need to soak your brush in disinfectant solutions or mouthwash. This can contaminate the brush itself if the solution is used for a very long time or if different people share it.

When to replace your brush

• Replace your brush every three to four months or if the tips of the bristles become bent and worn.
• Your brush should be changed frequently. How long your brush lasts will depend on how hard it is and your brushing technique. Nonetheless it is a good idea to change your brush every three months.

Brush Anatomy and Types

Brushes have two parts: the head and the handle.

The Handle

Brushes with flexible handles are not advisable because they make maneuvering the brush awkward.

The Head

The bristles are the most important part of the brush.

Modern bristles are rounded so they do not cause damage by scraping. Ideally brushes should polish rather than scrape.

Individual bristles can be of different thicknesses. Thicker bristles are more rigid, or harder. Longer bristles will feel softer than sorter bristles.

As a result you can buy hard, soft and medium brushes. These labels refer to the firmness of the bristles. There are also brushes for specialized tasks, ultra-soft brushes for post surgical care and brushes for sensitive teeth.

Kinds of Brushes

Some of the following brushes are no longer made.

This brush has spaces beneath the bristles so that when you brush too hard it “cushions” the pressure and keeps you from pressing the brush too hard.

This brush includes a sand clock.

The brush plays a melody to help you keep track of how long you have been brushing.

A brush with interchangeable heads

Wooden handled Brush

Circular brush for circular movement on the teeth

This one is used for cleaning between teeth and braces