Technically Toothbrushing (Blog Three)

When we're young, the one of the many tasks our parents insist we do is to brush our teeth. "Brush after eating, brush when you wake up, brush when you go to bed, brush brush brush..." Something I got very tired of as a child. But when it comes down to it, necessity breeds advancement, and in the past few years, the advancement of the technology of toothbrushes has been quite apparent to me. Ads plaster the TV giving us the choice of such advancements as a flexible rubber bristles, tongue scrubbers, and even toothbrushes that play music...you all remember these:

Now that my teeth can hear, how can I make my ears smell? We're counting on you technology...

But what I don't understand is why there have to be many choices...I've been studying lately how many people use toothbrushes and admittedly, I have been spending far too much time observing people brush in the bathroom (it's not creepy, I swear). And you know what conclusion I have come to? Everybody freaking does it the same...maybe they differ brushing patterns, but not once did I see someone brush their tongue, remember that they had special bristles, or even (get this), I saw a man using a motorized toothbrush that was turned off to brush his teeth...normally. And no, the batteries weren't dead, because he turned it on to rinse it. So why overload us with all these advancements when people have no idea what they're getting? And how many types are there? Dr. Shir, a dentist who runs the site for her company, "The Artistic Center for Dentistry" and has received multiple awards for her work as a dentist, has found some serious numbers:

"Target has 28 choices online, and that does not include the 48 choices in “electric toothbrush”. This seems equal to what they have in their actual store – I took the accompanying picture myself.

Amazon.com has 3,498 results.

Drugstore.com has 240 results.

You can see where I would hesitate to declare one “the best”. The variety of angles, bristles, and other elements make it nearly impossible. One rule remains, however – make sure to change your toothbrush at least every three months…!"

-From the Article "How Many Kinds of Toothbrushes are There?" written by Dr. Nushin Shir

But I...I pay attention to what toothbrush I'm using. I use a toothbrush that is red and white with rubber gum massagers on each side and a tongue cleaner to boot. And I use the features as they should be used. I use the bristles to massage my gums so that I have good gum heath, and I use the tongue brush to clean all bacteria off of my tongue so I don't have bad breath. But why do I continue to use it? Because it works. I haven't gotten a cavity since I started brushing my teeth, and this type of brush gets the job done. I don't feel the need to use a motorized brush or to use some fancy brush. I use what works for me. And the proof is in my dentist's patient folder on me. How would I make this simple technology better? I wouldn't. I feel that it already has exactly what it needs. The base set of bristles has remained the same since its invention, even though the horsehair has been replaced with plastic fibers. I think that we have plateaued in terms of toothbrushes, which brings me back to my other point. The advancements in these toothbrushes are nothing more than aesthetic, cosmetic, and entertainment based advancements. They make the art of brushing fun, because as kids, our parents needed some help getting us rowdy kids to brush our teeth.   

Source: 

Shir, Dr. Nushin. "How Many Types of Toothbrushes are There?." Artistic Center for Dentistry. N.p.,                              

12 Sep 2011. Web. 10 Sep 2012. <http://www.theartisticdentistry.com/how-many-kinds-of-toothbrushes-are-there/>.