When it comes to choosing the best toothbrush, it often means to choose the best toothbrush bristle design. The manufacturers have been constantly innovating the toothbrush bristle designs to improve the oral cleanliness and health of the users. You can click here to find out more about the different design of toothbrush bristle designs and their purposes in our previous article.
Here, we are going to show you the pros and cons of each toothbrush bristle design based on scientific research. I believe you will be able to choose the most suitable toothbrush for yourself after reading this article. You can scroll to table at the end if you want to look for the fast answer.
Types of Toothbrush Bristles: Pros and Cons
Let us have a look at the types of toothbrush bristles before we show you how to choose toothbrush bristle that suit you the most.
1. Flat Bristle
Pros:
- Easily available and cheap.
- Can clean effectively with proper brushing technique.
Cons:
- “Blocking effect” occur when the bristles cannot enter the area between teeth (interdental area).
- May not be able to clean the interdental area well.
2. Multilevel Bristle
Pros:
- Bristles with different lengths work “independently”.
- Eliminate “blocking effect”.
- Can clean the interdental area better
- Research showed users have better gum health.
Cons:
- Some toothbrush head may be too large or bulky.
- Difficult to reach the back teeth if the head is bulky.
3. Rippled Bristle
Pros:
- The wave-like shape can fit the scalloping row of teeth.
- Can clean the interdental area better.
- Research showed users have better gum health.
Cons:
- Some toothbrush head may be too large or bulky.
- Difficult to reach the back teeth if the head is bulky.
4. Angled or Crisscrossed Bristle
Pros:
- Different groups of bristles can work “independently”.
- Can clean the interdental area better.
- Research showed users have better gum health.
Cons:
- Some toothbrush head may be too large or bulky.
- Difficult to reach the back teeth if the head is bulky.
5. Spiral Filament
Pros:
- The rough side surface of bristle can remove the dental plaque better.
Cons:
- Not enough research to conclude that it is better than others.
6. Tapered Filament
Pros:
- More gentle force on gum and teeth
- Less chance of teeth abrasion and gum recession.
Cons:
- May not remove dental plaque that well because of its softness.
7. Bilevel-Orthodontic or V-Shape Bristle
Pros:
- Convenient to use if you are wearing braces.
- Can clean the braces brackets well.
Cons:
- May not clean the interdental area well because of the presence of braces wire.
- Not suitable for general users (those who not wearing braces).
Which toothbrush bristle is the best?
Each type of bristle is designed for a specific purpose. Therefore, the best toothbrush for you will depend on whether you are a normal user, braces wearer, or having some gum or teeth problems.
How to choose toothbrush bristle?
Usually, toothbrush packages are labeled with descriptions that introduce special features or functions. For examples, “6X dental plaque removal”, “deep clean”, “dual action”…
Although the label is the fastest way to help us to choose a suitable toothbrush, it may be even better to recognize the types of bristles which best suit you by yourself.
There are two particularly useful features to look for:
- Bristles color
- Bristles shape or outline
The bristles color made by the manufacturers is not good-for-nothing. It can help you to see the arrangement of the bristles. Crisscross or angled bristles and spiral bristles can be identified easily through the colors.
By seeing the shape or the outline of the bristles when looking at the toothbrush sideways, you can tell whether it is flat, multilevel, rippled, V-shaped, or tapered.
Table below shows the types of toothbrush bristle you may want to look for according to your needs.
| Purposes | Toothbrush Bristles |
|---|---|
| For general user | Crisscross or angled, multilevel, rippled, flat |
| For receding gums | Tapered, others (soft) |
| For sensitive teeth due to abrasion | Tapered, others (soft) |
| For braces wearer | Bilevel-orthodontic or V-shape |
The next thing to consider is whether to choose soft, medium, or hard toothbrush bristle.
Hard or Soft Toothbrush?
Hard bristle toothbrush used to be more popular half a century ago because it was believed to be better in removing hardened dental plaque, or tartar, which was once thought to be the reason for gum disease.
However, it was later found out that tartar was merely a rough stony surface on which the plaque (soft debris) is sticking onto, and plaque is the culprit for gum disease but not the tartar. The dental plaque is the soft material consists of food and bacteria which can be removed by a soft toothbrush with proper brushing technique
And truthfully, hard bristle can never remove the tartar. It can only be removed by professional scaling.
It was also found that hard bristle causes injury to the teeth by scratching off its surface (which is known as abrasion that causes sensitive teeth). The hard bristles may also cause injury to the gum causing gum recession.
Therefore, a soft bristle toothbrush is now generally recommended because it is more gentle to the teeth and gum while able to clean the tooth from dental plaque with proper brushing.
Reference
- Versteeg P, Piscaer M, Rosema N, Timmerman M, Van der Velden U, Van der Weijden G. Tapered toothbrush filaments in relation to gingival abrasion, removal of plaque and treatment of gingivitis. International Journal of Dental Hygiene. 2008;6(3):174-182.
- Hayasaki H, Saitoh I, Nakakura-Ohshima K, Hanasaki M, Nogami Y, Nakajima T, et al. Tooth brushing for oral prophylaxis. Japanese Dental Science Review. 2014;50(3):69-77.
- Impact of Improved Toothbrushes on Dental Diseases II. American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. 1999;115(1):A1.
- Voelker MA, Bayne SC, Liu Y, Walker MP. Catalogue of tooth brush head designs. American Dental Hygienists’ Association. 2013;87(3):118-33.
- Effects of toothbrushes with tapered and cross angled soft bristle design on dental plaque and gingival inflammation: a randomized and controlled clinical trial. British Dental Journal. 2008;204(2):83-83.
