About Dental Brushes

Brushing your teeth is as important as drinking water, or at least that is what we have been taught. Brush in the morning, brush after lunch, brush after dinner and brush before bed. We carry them in our purses, have an extra in our desk, and even keep one in our car for emergencies. It seems amazing to think that there could have been life without toothbrushes.

Significance

The main reason we brush our teeth so much is to remove the little particles of food that stick to our teeth after eating. Film left over from the sugary desserts or drinks we consume coats our teeth in a white pasty substance known as tartar after it hardens. This can lead to tooth decay, so brushing is crucial in preventing dental problems down the road.

History

Toothbrushes were made thousands of years ago, initially out of bone handles and pig's hair for the bristles. They were expensive and not used by the general public. By the mid 1800s, the toothbrush made its debut into the United States as a brush with three rows of natural boar bristles. It wasn't until World War II, when the government gave every soldier a toothbrush and mandated that their teeth be brushed daily, that the idea of everyone brushing their teeth daily became normal. The GIs came home and continued the practice in their families. Toothbrushes became inexpensive with the advent of the synthetic bristles, and the dental industry exploded to become a major business in the United States.

Types

There are three main types of toothbrushes: manual, electric and sonic. The manual toothbrush is a simple brush with various degrees of hardness in the bristles that you use by moving the brush back and forth over your teeth. The electric toothbrush has two varieties, one that simulates the action of your wrist by passing the brush back and forth over your teeth (but much faster and many more times in a period of time), and the rotary electric brush that spins the bristles over your teeth. The sonic toothbrushes are much faster in their vibrating, actually moving back and forth four times faster than the electric toothbrush--up to 50,000 times per second.

Considerations

In reviewing the different kinds of toothbrushes available, consider how much electricity will be used, the degree of difficulty in its availability during travel, replacement brushes and even the proximity of an outlet to your sink. The traditional toothbrush is as simple as it gets and never needs any electricity, is portable and easily replaced. You might consider the option of using a combination of the high-speed electric or sonic brush while at home and a traditional brush while traveling. The compromise could reduce some of the cost of the high-end toothbrushes and yet provide the convenience of the traditional brush.

Misconceptions

Many people think that bacteria in our mouths are a bad thing. Actually, that is not true. Bacteria are part of the digestive process that begins in our mouth. We need them to keep a healthy flora balance, and killing them all can lead to mouth sores and unhealthy gums. Yes, our teeth need to be cleaned, but also even more important is the kind of food we put into our mouth. Scrubbing our teeth with strong abrasives and soaps will not only thin the enamel but damage the skin around our teeth. Moderation is the key, using regular brushing with a very small amount of toothpaste.