The toothbrush

 Is your toothbrush be too stiff? Do you brush your teeth a number of times each day, but you still cannot manage to get them properly cleaned?

Do you not know what a good toothbrush should be like? The following article describes the features of an effective toothbrush, explaining how it should be used to ensure proper oral hygiene …

Removing bacterial plaque

The toothbrush is the most important tool for our oral hygiene. There are other tools as well, including toothpaste, dental floss, interdental brushes and mouthwash, but none of them can take the place of the toothbrush and its all-important action.

But why is it so important to use a toothbrush?

Thanks to its mechanical action, the toothbrush removes the bacterial plaque that otherwise would accumulate on the teeth and under the gums, causing swelling of the gums and periodontal disease.

The ideal toothbrush

There are a number of different toothbrushes, but not all of them are effective.

The ideal toothbrush should have fairly soft synthetic bristles that stand up straight, are equal in length and come with rounded tips. The handle should be straight, with an ergonomic grip to make for better control of the movements.

It can also be an electric model whose heads oscillate thanks to the electricity, resulting in more effective cleaning, especially in spots that are hard to reach with a standard model.

Regardless of the type of toothbrush, the most important thing is to use it correctly.

How to use a toothbrush

Unlike what most people think, the toothbrush should not be moved horizontally, or from left to right, which is actually the worst possible way to brush your teeth, as the horizontal motion risks pushing the bacterial plaque and tartar into the spaces between the teeth and ruining their enamel.

Then what is the right way to move a toothbrush?

The movement should be vertically, always proceeding from the gums to the teeth, with the toothbrush slanted at a 45-degree angle, in order to remove the plaque from the gum line.

Both the inside and the outside portions of the teeth should be brushed, along with the chewing surfaces. In this last case, the movement should be from back to front.

Watch this video on how to brush your teeth (click here).

A good toothpaste for a good toothbrush

It is the toothbrush and its mechanical action that deserve the credit for removing plaque and, therefore making good oral hygiene possible.

Certainly not the toothpaste, which can only serve as a secondary aid in cleaning the teeth and the mouth.

How should you go about choosing the right toothbrush?

Actually, there is no one right toothbrush, seeing that the choice can be made on the basis of age or the purpose the toothpaste is supposed to serve.

If preventing cavities is the goal, for example, then a fluoride toothpaste is recommended, because it helps renew the mineral content of the teeth.