*This article is jointly produced by Tencent Medical Code and People’s Daily Online · People’s Health.
Some people brush their teeth all their lives
Still suffer from gingivitis, periodontitis,
Caries and other oral diseases take turns entangled
Want to have healthier teeth
In addition to choosing the right toothpaste
The toothbrush you use every day also matters!
Come and see who is your “true toothbrush”?
First up is the long-established manual toothbrush regiment.
The cooperation between manual toothbrushes and the tooth family has a long history. With the development of the times, manual toothbrushes have been working hard to learn new talents in order to better debut as a group and serve the teeth.
They each have their own skills, come and see who is the C position in your mind:
1. Brush head: big vs small
The brush head is the key to the toothbrush, neither too big nor too small, the most important thing is to suit you.
The brush head is too large, it can’t rotate freely in the mouth, and it can’t completely clean the back teeth and some corners[1].
Brush head is too small and inefficient. If the brush head is too small, there will be less bristles, which will cause you to brush slower than others. It takes 5 minutes to solve the problem that can be solved in 2 minutes.
For the brush head of a toothbrush, taking an adult toothbrush as an example, my country’s toothbrush standard is [2]:
Length: less than or equal to 4.2 cm
Width: less than or equal to 1.4 cm
The American Dental Association’s manual toothbrush standards are narrower[3-4]:
The brush head is about 2.5-3 cm long and 0.8-1 cm wide;
2~4 rows of bristles, 5~12 bundles in each row;
The tip of the brush head should be rounded and blunt.
2. Bristles: Hard vs Soft
Many people think the softer the bristles, the better, is that true?
No or no, a “soft” toothbrush with moderate hardness is a good match. Too hard bristles can easily damage tooth hard tissue and gums; too soft bristles can cause unclean teeth [5].
However, if you smoke for a long time and drink strong tea, pigments are easily deposited on the surface of the teeth, resulting in yellow and black teeth. At this time, you can choose to use a medium-hard toothbrush alternately with soft bristles to improve cleaning power.
When buying a toothbrush, you can press the bristles with your fingers through the package. If your fingers are irritating, it means that it is too hard, and it is not recommended to buy it.
In addition, the “hairstyle” (the shape of the bristles) of the toothbrush members is also rich.
Flat bristles: This type of toothbrush is the most common type with flat bristles.
Wavy or V-shaped: The bristles are V-shaped or wavy to allow easier contact adjacent to the teeth.
Brush tip features: It can effectively clean the hard-to-brush parts.
Crossed bristles: Pick up and sweep away plaque.
Cup bristles: Enhances cleaning of stains on tooth surfaces.
Overall, multi-layered, angled bristles are more effective at removing plaque than traditional flat bristles [6].
3. Brush handle: straight vs curved
A good brush handle is ergonomic, easy to hold and comfortable to hold[8].
First of all, it must have enough hardness and strength, so that it can be carried and not easy to bend;
In the grip part, it is best to use a soft non-slip material to prevent the toothbrush from letting go of the hand;
It is better to have a certain inclination angle between the toothbrush neck and the brush handle, so that it is convenient to go deep into the oral cavity for cleaning, and the general angle is 20~21 degrees [7].
(ergonomic handle[8]
Source: Reference 8)
After introducing the manual toothbrush group that rides the wind and waves, let’s take a look at the new star of the technology era: the electric toothbrush group full of vitality!
The main members of the electric toothbrush group are: mechanical electric toothbrush and sonic electric toothbrush.
Mechanical electric toothbrush is the team’s “vocal (vocal) responsibility”. It is more lively and active, and the sound is relatively loud; but it is not ambiguous at all, and the vibration frequency is high. The deep cleaning effect is good.
Therefore, it is more suitable for regular deep cleaning.
Sonic electric toothbrush is the face of the team. It is much gentler. It mainly uses built-in transistors to emit sound waves to kill bacteria in the dead corners of the gums and teeth, so as to achieve the purpose of cleaning teeth.
Working with low noise, high safety, no wear on teeth, good cleaning effect on teeth corners, suitable for daily use.
Then the question is, the manual toothbrush group and the electric toothbrush group, who is the No.1 in the toothbrush industry? Are electric toothbrushes really an IQ tax?
From scientific research, there is no clear evidence that electric toothbrushes are necessarily better than manual toothbrushes.
Most studies still agree that there is no significant difference between the two as long as brushing is done properly [9].
So, if you can be sure that you really know how to brush and brush your teeth right, then go for a cheap and affordable regular manual toothbrush, don’t you save the money for spare ribs?
However, for some lazy people (or children, the elderly and disabled), let alone the brushing posture, even the brushing time, it is difficult to stick to 2 minutes, often It’s all done with just a few swipes.
For some people, an electric toothbrush may be better: just press the start button and you’ll be forced to fully brush2 minutes while ensuring sufficient cleaning power.
In addition, the vibration amplitude of the electric toothbrush head is also far beyond the swing speed of the human hand, which can achieve sufficient cleaning power in a shorter time, especially for those who are wearing braces, which is convenient for Clean various “sanitary dead corners”.
After thousands of choices, I finally found the right toothbrush partner for my teeth. Don’t be in a hurry to be happy, these points of cooperation between the two parties (the brushing method) should still be paid attention to.
1. The “Improved Pasteur Brushing Method” that Dentists Are Recommending
2. Before brushing, should the toothbrush be wet?
Water or not, as you please. However, the active ingredients in some desensitizing and whitening toothpastes will quickly decompose when exposed to water, so this type of toothpaste is not recommended to be soaked in water first.
3. How often should the toothbrush be changed?
Toothbrushes don’t actually have a fixed lifespan. The American Dental Association recommends replacing them every 3-4 months; but if the bristles are significantly worn, knotted, or stained, don’t hesitate. Change it.
(Source: Zhanku Hailuo)
Enough talking, check if you have the right toothbrush? Remember to brush your teeth well.
References:
[1] Guan Li. Clinical trial evaluation and evaluation method of toothbrush function effect [D]. Fourth Military Medical University, 2013.
[2] National Standard of the People’s Republic of China GB 19342-2013, Toothbrush [S].
[3]Singh Walia S, Randhawa A K, Malhotra S, et al. COMPARISON OF COMMERCIALLY MARKETED TOOTHBRUSHES IN AMRITSAR-IN ACCORDANCE TO ADA SPECIFICATION[J]. Indian Journal of Comprehensive Dental Care ( IJCDC), 2016, 6(1).
[4]http:https://m.cqn.com.cn/ms/content/2018-09/20/content_6277877.htm
[5]Li Gang. Development history and development trend of toothbrush design[J]. Oral Care Products Industry (4):45-47.
[6]Slot DE, Wiggelinkhuizen L, Rosema NA, Van der Weijden GA. The efficacy of manual toothbrushes following a brushing exercise: a systematic review. Int J Dent Hyg 2012;10(3 ):187-97.
[7]Chun J, Cho M J. The standardization of toothbrush form for Korean adult[J]. International Journal of Clinical Preventive Dentistry, 2014, 10(4): 227-235.
[8] Tan Shan, Wang Ming. On the use of toothbrushes and the ergonomic design of toothbrushes [J]. Journal of Hunan Medical University (Social Science Edition), 2010,12(03 ):328-329.
[9]Dong Xiaoxiao, Wan Peng. Clinical application of electric toothbrush[J]. Journal of Practical Stomatology, 2014, 030(003):418-421.
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