Is Your Toothbrush Working well on your Teeth?

Dr. Ma. Susana Galvez

1. You must select a soft bristled toothbrush to prevent gum damage and wearing of the enamel, dentin, and even the root area.
2. Use your toothbrush with a small amount of toothpaste with fluoride. Then, place the head of your toothbrush with the tips of the bristles at a 45 degree angle to the gum line when brushing.
3. Brush your teeth in an upward and downward stroke or either circular or rotational motion. Brush and clean all surfaces of your teeth, front and back surfaces and biting surfaces of the teeth.
4. Apply just enough pressure. Don’t brush your teeth vigorously. Brushing of your teeth would take at least 3-5 minutes to finish all the areas of the teeth.
5. Remember, don’t saw back and forth, sideward or across the teeth with your toothbrush. It usually leads to toothbrush abrasion.
6. Brushing of tongue is also very important to remove the food particles and bacteria. After brushing your teeth, it is still necessary to use dental floss for total and thorough cleaning of plaque in between of the surfaces of the teeth.

According to Asian studies, Chinese people are the ones who invented the first toothbrush. It is made by embedding hog hairs into ivory, bone, or bamboo handles until contra-angulated toothbrush was invented in the United States. And now, with the modern technology, electric toothbrush is already out in the market which is very appropriate for people who has arthritis or illnesses enable them to brush their teeth very well.

In my recent studies and research, there’s a new innovative designed toothbrush that will improve and will correct the proper brushing of the teeth, the T-SHAPED TOOTHBRUSH. T-shaped toothbrush was invented by a Malaysian businessman, Mr. Jack Liew, whose objective is to help people improve their brushing technique. According to his case study and survey, T-shaped toothbrush is proven to be more effective than the conventional toothbrush. It guides and corrects the proper method of brushing our teeth because of its appropriate and reliable design. Since it has a DuPont 623 bristles, a highly kind quality of round bristles, it effectively remove stains and plaque in all surfaces and even in between the teeth as well.