5 Things To Know About Your Toothbrush:

1. Be sure to look for the ADA seal of approval when selecting your toothbrush. The ADA stands for the American Dental Association and is the gold standard in toothbrush quality. It is the most predictable way to know if your toothbrush will hold up to normal wear and tear, and if it will work effectively when brushing with proper technique.

2. The toothbrush was invented over 5,000 years ago. Ancient civilizations used variations of a ‘chew stick’ to remove food from their teeth. Originally, it wasn’t much more than a think twig with one end frayed. Over time, they developed to have stiff bristles from animals on one end. The modern toothbrush, which has nylon bristles, was invented in 1938.

3. The first mass-produced toothbrush was invented in prison. In 1770, an English man cleaned the teeth of fellow prisoners using a rag covered in soot or salt to clean their teeth. It eventually developed into a toothbrush with bristles, and after his release from prison he started a company to manufacture his toothbrush. The company still exists in the United Kingdom today.

4. Manual or Powered Toothbrush? When your toothbrush is used properly and for the right amount of time, either type of toothbrush can work well. But if you are unsure whether you actually brush for the full 2 minutes, you should use a timer or a brush with a timer. If you have been told you brush too hard, then I would use an electric brush to avoid the scrubbing motion. Bottom line: an electric toothbrush is the safer play.

5. There is no correct order to brushing and flossing. We often receive questions about whether you should brush or floss first. It usually doesn’t matter if you are using proper technique. But if you have larger spaces between your teeth that tend to catch larger pieces of food, I may recommend flossing and clearing the larger debris before brushing.

For more information, visit www.dentistwestchester.com.

Lee T. Brown, DDS

Brown and Kupper, DDS