Brushing your teeth is basically the simplest and best way to prevent almost all dental diseases. The first toothbrush was introduced in 3000 BC (pretty old, right?) by the Babylonians and guess what: it’s nothing like the toothbrushes we use today. In fact, the first toothbrushes, or “chew sticks,” were disposable because they can only be used after meals to clean away dirt that has accumulated in hard-to-reach areas inside the mouth.

We will discuss in this article the different parts of the toothbrush, how to use it and how to brush your teeth correctly.

The parts of the toothbrush The toothbrush, as simple as it may seem, has gone through many patent regulations before becoming the reference for those we use commercially.

The toothbrush head The toothbrush head contains all the parts necessary to clean our teeth. Head sizes come in a variety of sizes, depending on the age of the intended user. Smaller toothbrush heads are recommended for children or tweens who have not yet had their full permanent dentition. Medium sized heads are intended for teens and adults, who have larger dentition. There are also the larger size toothbrush heads used by people who prefer general cleaning and also for people who have a larger scale.

The toothbrush head mainly consists of two important parts: the tongue scraper and the bristles.

The tongue scraper is a recent innovation in the commercial production of toothbrushes. Before, there were only the bristles that cleaned the teeth. But toothbrush manufacturers soon received suggestions that there should also be a part of the toothbrush specifically designed to scrape dirt off the tongue. A patent was then approved to attach a tongue scraper to the back of the head (since it’s not used anyway), to facilitate a full mouth clean, since the bristles are really for cleaning the teeth.

Almost every variety of toothbrush has a tongue scraper these days. The more prince a toothbrush gets, the more upgrades it has to match the effectiveness of the bristles. If you can notice, the more expensive toothbrushes have a bigger brand name and commercial information related to the effectiveness of the tongue scraper.

The bristles are the most important part of the toothbrush. Why? Because they do 90% of the cleaning (the other 10% is done by the tongue scraper). The bristles are made of nylon and therefore feel soft and strong. There are two types of bristles: soft bristles and hard bristles.

Soft bristles are commercially manufactured for people who have sensitive teeth, people who wear dental braces, and also for people who have recently had oral surgery. Soft bristles make it easy to get between teeth and gums. These soft bristles are made from a very fine and small nylon material suitable for making brushing easier and safer.

Hard bristle toothbrushes are usually cheaper than soft bristle ones because, commercially speaking, the material is cheaper and people are often attracted to cheaper prices, especially when it comes to dental care products. Hard bristles, while apparently more effective than soft bristles, actually rank second in performance because they don’t reach hard-to-reach areas of teeth that soft bristles can easily penetrate.

Electric toothbrushes only use soft bristles, because the degree of oscillation, when combined with hard bristles, can lead to devastating results for teeth.

The effectiveness of the bristles in cleaning the teeth usually lasts between three and six months of continuous use. It is imperative to replace your toothbrush after the three to six month period because worn bristles do nothing and may already be full of foreign, invisible bacteria that could stick to your teeth while brushing.

The handle of the toothbrush Unbeknownst to us, the handle plays a very important role in brushing our teeth. Our grip depends on the handle of the toothbrush, which means that if the handle is not ergonomically shaped, it could cause us to use a stronger grip, thus the potential damage to our teeth from forceful brushing.

Dentists recommend toothbrushes with long, thick, rubbery, highly flexible ergonomic handles. Oral-B and Colgate have phased out their old toothbrush models that have a thin, stiff handle.

Using a toothbrush and how to brush your teeth correctly Using a toothbrush is not rocket science, but the potential dangers of vigorous brushing should also be taken into account.

First, choose a dentist-recommended toothbrush and only buy one from a respected brand, like Colgate or Oral-B. Depending on your dentist’s suggestions or your personal preferences, you can use a manual or electric toothbrush. And be sure to use one that has soft bristles.

Second, apply a rich, thick, pasty foam of toothpaste to the toothbrush. Don’t be too conservative with toothpaste. Make sure all the bristles have been covered with toothpaste and try to get into the habit of gargling before brushing your teeth, especially after meals.

Finally, brushing your teeth will take between two and three minutes. Don’t brush for just 15 seconds; technically, you never brushed your teeth in that short amount of time. When brushing your teeth, start with short, gentle strokes on the outer surfaces of your upper and lower teeth in the first twenty seconds to provide a kind of warm-up exercise for your teeth and gums. You can now continue brushing the inner surface of the upper and lower teeth. Repeat until you’ve reached the two-minute marker, and don’t forget to use the tongue scraper when you’re done brushing. Afterward, gargle and look in the mirror to see if you did a good job of brushing your teeth.

We hope this article will help you get started on great oral hygiene. Check out our other articles on dental health.