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Expert Q&A
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| By Catrise Austin Cosmetic and General Dentist | ||
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Could you tell me what to look for in a good toothbrush and how often one needs to be replaced?
First and foremost, when selecting a toothbrush, only select soft bristled toothbrushes. The plaque that accumulates on your teeth daily is soft, therefore the soft bristled brushes are adequate for cleaning your teeth. Many people feel that a hard or medium brush is better because they feel that the harder texture will be more effective. But in actuality, the hard and medium brushes are so hard that they remove the enamel from your teeth, which causes tooth sensitivity. I have found that most of my patients that complain about tooth sensitivity have brushed their enamel away by usung the wrong toothbrush.
Next, look at the design of the toothbrush. You want choose a brush that will allow easy manual manipulation. Children and elderly people may benefit from electric brishes that does much of the work for them. Also, children's toothbrushes will likely have the recommended age for usage on the package to help parents choose the proper brush.
Lastly, consider the size/shape of the toothbrush head. I love electric toothbrushes, because most of them have small round toothbrush heads that are great for people who have hard to reach areas like wisdom teeth or people who have small mouths, including children.
The standard frequency for changing your toothbrush is every 3 months or when the bristles of the brush start to appear worn. Your toothbrush accumulates bacteria daily. Dentists recommend buying a toothbrush sterilizer or running your toothbrushes in the dishwasher on a regular basis to keep it clean between your 3 month changes. Most electric brushes will have a replaceable toothbrush heads that also should be changed every three months.
Happy brushing!
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- Could you tell me what to look for in a good toothbrush and how often one needs to be replaced?
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