The Chinese understood the importance of protecting their teeth more than 2000 years ago, and the ancients cleaned their mouths and teeth with their fingers and willow branches. In 1498 A.D., Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty of China invented a toothbrush made of pig bristles set on bone. Then it was until the 1830s when DuPont started manufacturing synthetic fibers (nylon) and a new generation of toothbrushes with nylon bristles began to be created. Currently, there is a wide variety of toothbrushes and brands on the market. So, what kind of toothbrush is appropriate to choose? This should be considered from the following aspects: 1, the size of the brush head American Dental Association recommends that adult toothbrushes should be: brush head length of about 2.54 to 3.18 cm, width of about 0.79 to 0.95 cm; bristles 2 to 4 rows, each row of 5 to 12 bundles. However, adults can also choose a children’s toothbrush with a brush head 2.3 cm long and 0.8 cm wide. The size of the brush head needs to take into account the size of the mouth, the degree of mouth opening and personal habits and other factors. Try to use a small brush head so that it can penetrate deep into the mouth, ensure flexible rotation and clean the back teeth. 2, the shape of the brush head The shape of the brush head is generally divided into square and diamond type. The square brush head can effectively clean every surface of the teeth. Diamond shape of this type of brush head has a pointed end compared to the square design, which is easier to clean deeper into the mouth. Any shape of brush head can clean the teeth, it is usually recommended to use a toothbrush head with a round and blunt shape at the front. 3, bristle material The bristle material has two kinds: natural pig bristle and nylon wire. Natural pig bristles have good cleaning effect and strong ability to absorb toothpaste, but it is more absorbent and dries slowly, thus relatively easy to breed bacteria. Nylon wire slim soft, can clean the gap between the teeth, and elasticity is better, have a better massage effect, coupled with its wear-resistant, non-absorbent properties, so become the preferred material for bristles. 4, the hardness of the brush bristles bristles have soft, medium and hard bristles. Hard-bristled toothbrush has better cleaning effect on teeth, but the abrasive effect on teeth and teeth damage is also larger, easily lead to gum atrophy, wedge-shaped defects in the neck of teeth, etc.; soft-bristled toothbrush can enter the gingival margin below and adjacent to the gap to plaque, but the thicker plaque can not be completely removed. Therefore, it is more appropriate to choose a toothbrush with moderate hardness, and the general population is recommended to use soft-bristled toothbrush. When buying a toothbrush, you can use your finger to press the bristles, if your finger has a tingling feeling, it is too hard and should not be used. 5. The tip of the bristles After cutting, if the bristles are rounded, it is easy to cause injury because they are too sharp. Abrasive toothbrushes with rounded bristles can prevent this injury and provide stronger protection for gums. 6, the angle between the brush head and the brush handle Commercially available toothbrushes have two types of linear and angle type. When using a linear brush handle, the force is not good to grasp, while the angle of the toothbrush on the back teeth cleaning effect is better, the general brush handle and the angle of the brush head to 17 ° ~ 20 ° is appropriate. 7, the choice of brush handle brush handle to be strong, comfortable hand grip, sufficient hardness, strength and a certain degree of flexibility, and to moisture, easy to dry operation. The traditional toothbrush is generally straight handle, easier to use. A curved handle can reach deeper into the mouth where it is more difficult to brush. The flexible handle is claimed to avoid damage to the gums due to the excessive pressure of the toothbrush on the gums. A non-slip handle prevents the toothbrush from slipping off while brushing. The shape of the brush handle is preferably curved to make it easier to hold and less likely to slip off or turn. 8. Special toothbrushes For people with red and swollen gums, easy bleeding and exposed roots, you should try to choose a soft-bristled toothbrush with fewer rows of bristles, which can massage the gums without damaging them. The hardness of the gums is smaller than that of the crown, so soft bristles can reduce the wear and tear on the roots. After brushing, it is best to use dental floss or an interdental toothbrush to clean the food hidden between the teeth. People with shrunken gum papillae or enlarged gaps, and those who have difficulty cleaning the back of the last tooth, can use a shaped toothbrush. The bristles on the head of the toothbrush can be longer and the head of the toothbrush can be slightly narrower. This makes it easier to remove the food that has accumulated between the teeth. Toothbrushes with fixed orthodontic appliances are generally shaped in a V or U shape. The bristles of this toothbrush are divided on both sides of the abutments and wires, and the bottom bristles of the V- or U-shaped are short and hard. It can effectively remove the plaque on the base and wire. The bristles on both sides are longer and softer and are used to clean teeth and massage gums. Children should choose 2 to 3 rows, each row of 3 to 4 bundles of bristles, flat-topped toothbrush is good. Generally for the brush head is shorter and narrower, the gap between each bunch of bristles is larger, the bristles are moderately soft and hard, and the bristles are abrasive children’s toothbrush. Older people should choose a slightly softer bristle bristle toothbrush, the best choice of hog bristle toothbrush. Toothbrush bristles should be 2 to 3 rows, each row of 6 to 8 bundles, there should be a proper distance between the bundles of bristles in order to keep the toothbrush clean. For those who have difficulty moving their hands and feet (such as stroke patients), you can use electric toothbrushes, light energy ion toothbrushes, etc. 9, other matters bristles bundle hole distance is appropriate to facilitate the cleaning of the toothbrush itself, not easy to retain food debris; bristles of equal length, and gathered into a bundle, to adapt to the needs of each side of the teeth scrubbing, can prevent bristles stabbing gums; bristles are usually arranged in a bundle into 3-4 rows, more bundle bristles are more conducive to improving the efficiency of dental cleaning; bristle type has a flat cut, wave and other types, can be selected according to each person’s favorite.