Dentist Near Thornleigh
Toothbrush is a tool to help you clean your teeth, gums and tongue. It contains bristles at the tip of the handle to brush away plaque and tartar in hard to reach places. Toothbrush is usually paired with toothpaste and floss for an overall hygiene mouth clean.
With the general rule of brushing at least 2 minutes and in gentle circular motion, it is important to know what type of toothbrush is suitable for the individual's needs.
There are many different types of toothbrushes available in the market today. Especially in Thornleigh with supermarkets, pharmacies and dental surgeries it could be overwhelming to decide. Manual toothbrush is still the general and most commonly used, however even in manual toothbrushes there are different size, shape and bristle textures to choose from.
If you go to your local dentist in Thornleigh, most dentists will recommend soft bristle toothbrushes as they are softer on your gums. While the medium texture bristle serves a better purpose of removing biofilm on the teeth.
Shape of the bristle also plays a part in providing different services. It is recommended to use multi-level or angled bristles to better remove plaque than the conventional flat surfaced toothbrushes. The shape and size of toothbrush can also assist people with braces, small mouths and individuals that have gag reflexes.
As for an electric toothbrush, these toothbrushes provide assistance to individuals who are suffering from dexterity problems. These can include elderly, people with disability or children who finds it difficult to brush with braces.
The electric toothbrush is on the pricier end, but with different brands of electric toothbrush available the cost of these powered toothbrushes has dropped. This also means there are different types of powered toothbrushes with different functions. Additional timer, pressure sensor and adjustable speed can be achieved with the newer models. Depending on the brand of electric toothbrush the head motions differently too, from circular, side to side, rotation oscillation, counter oscillation and ultrasonic. So discussing what type of powered toothbrush you need with a dentist near Thornleigh can maximise the toothbrush performance and your oral health.
Caring for your toothbrush is also important for your oral health, with a lot of data showing that toothbrush can harbour bacteria. Bacteria such as fecal coliform that are released from flushing the toilet or placed on contaminated surfaces. These bacteria on toothbrushes have not shown any evidence of influencing an individual’s health. However it is still good to maintain good care of your toothbrushes with some tips.
Do not share your toothbrushes with anyone, as you will be exchanging micro-organism and bodily fluids between each other. Always rinse the toothbrush thoroughly to remove any debris and stand the toothbrush upright after use to air dry the bristles. This will also prevent any microbial growth and if possible provide some direct sunlight.
For both manual or electric toothbrushes it is advised by your Hornsby dentist to replace the toothbrush every 3 to 4 months as the effectiveness of the toothbrush decreases with the frayed bristles. If you do see your toothbrush become matted or frayed before then, you should change it earlier.