How often should toothbrushes be replaced? How to pick and brush teeth without damaging them

Toothbrushes can help us clean our teeth and freshen our breath, which is important to us, but we also need to replace them frequently. Let's take a closer look!

It's better to change the toothbrush every few months

Expert advice: Replace your toothbrush every three to four months, especially when your immune system is weak. It is even more important to change your toothbrush frequently to help prevent infection. Due to children's preference for biting the bristles, children's toothbrushes need to be replaced more frequently.

Three signals remind you: it's time to change your toothbrush

The color at the base of the toothbrush darkens

This is a signal of a higher accumulation of dirt. The dirt at the root of the bristles will slowly accumulate, which is one of the reasons for bacterial growth. Even if cleaned after each use, it cannot be completely prevented and should be replaced in a timely manner.

Most bristles have soft and collapsed tips

This indicates significant wear and tear, making it difficult to clean teeth effectively.

The distance between bristles significantly widens

Usually, the bristles are densely arranged. If the distance between the bristles significantly widens, dirt is more likely to remain at the root of the toothbrush. It is to replace it with a new one.

What kind of toothbrush is better to choose

Keeping teeth clean and oral health is essential for toothbrushes. How to choose a good toothbrush that suits you? Experts teach you 5 steps to choose a good toothbrush.

The brush head is short and narrow

The short and narrow brush head can rotate flexibly in the oral cavity, reaching various parts of the teeth (especially the side of the molars near the cheek), and is not easy to leave blind spots.

The American Dental Association recommends that adult toothbrushes should have a brush head length of approximately 2.54-3.18 centimeters and a width of approximately 0.79-0.95 centimeters.

Moderate softness and hardness of bristles

Many people believe that the softer the toothbrush material, the better, as it is less likely to damage the gums.

In fact, it is not easy to control the force when using a soft bristled toothbrush to brush teeth. Brushing too lightly can make it difficult to remove food residues and bacteria from the mouth; Excessive force can damage the gums and shorten the lifespan of the toothbrush.

Although the hard bristled toothbrush has a good cleaning effect on teeth, it also causes significant wear and damage to teeth. Therefore, it is recommended to choose a toothbrush with moderate bristle softness and hardness.

Brush tip treated

If the bristles are not smoothed after cutting, they are prone to injury due to being too sharp. A brushed toothbrush with rounded bristles can prevent this type of injury and provide stronger gum protection.

Reasonable arrangement of bristles

According to the recommendations of the American Dental Association, a reasonable arrangement of bristles should be 2-4 rows, with each row consisting of 5-12 bundles.

In addition, each bundle is generally 10-12 millimeters long and 3-4 millimeters wide, with a certain spacing between each bundle. This way of brushing teeth is not only beneficial for effectively removing dental plaque, but also facilitates the cleaning of the toothbrush itself.

The brush handle has anti slip design and has a certain angle with the brush head

A good toothbrush should have a handle that is easy to grip, comfortable to feel, and has an anti slip design.

In addition, the handle of the toothbrush should match the shape of the hand, and there are currently two types on the market: linear and angular.

Clinical studies have shown that when using straight lines, it is difficult to grasp the force, while angle types are more likely to reach the plaque removal area. one

Clinical studies have shown that when using straight lines, it is difficult to grasp the force, while angle types are more likely to reach the plaque removal area. The angle between the brush handle and the brush head is generally between 17 degrees and 20 degrees.

Correct usage of toothbrushes

1. After each use of the toothbrush, it should be thoroughly washed and the water should be shaken off as much as possible. Place the toothbrush head up in a mouthwash cup or in a well ventilated and sunny area to dry and sterilize it.

2. If conditions permit, you can purchase 2 or 3 toothbrushes at the same time for rotation, to extend the drying time of the toothbrushes. This is particularly important for people with gingivitis and periodontitis. In addition, rotating can also maintain the elasticity of toothbrush bristles.

3. Old toothbrushes with scattered or curled bristles and loss of elasticity must be replaced in a timely manner, otherwise it will be detrimental to teeth and gums.

Children living in groups should have their toothbrushes thoroughly cleaned and disinfected once a week.

5. Toothbrushes should not be used together to prevent mutual transmission of diseases.

6. The placement of toothbrushes should not be in the restroom or bathroom, and should be kept at a certain distance from the cleaning supplies

Classification of toothbrushes

Spray toothbrush: It can spray liquid toothpaste on the teeth. The spray toothbrush is divided into manual spray toothbrush and electric spray toothbrush.

Electric toothbrush: Clean teeth by vibrating and rotating.

Ultrasonic toothbrush: Utilizing the cavitation effect of ultrasonic energy in the periodontium to eliminate periodontal bacteria and impurities.

Bamboo toothbrush: The bristles are ordinary bristles or bamboo charcoal bristles, and the bamboo handle is made of natural bamboo.

House shaped toothbrush: can clean the outer, inner, and chewing surfaces of teeth at the same time. The brush head design combines three brush heads into one.

Single headed toothbrush: A toothbrush with a small brush head that can effectively clean wisdom teeth and misaligned teeth, with various brush head shapes.

Gap brush: mainly used to clean the adjacent surfaces of teeth with wider gaps, such as gum recession caused by periodontal disease.

Environmentally friendly toothbrush: Made from pure natural materials such as bamboo and PLA polylactic acid (corn plastic).

Anti static toothbrush: Made of plastic handle and bristles made of anti-static plastic wire or animal hair, with anti-static characteristics.

Baby toothbrush: A silicone fixed tooth toothbrush with pointed bristles, designed specifically for babies.

Bamboo charcoal toothbrush: The bristles contain activated carbon ions extracted from bamboo charcoal, with a natural black color.