Toothbrushes today come in a multitude of shapes, sizes and types, and standing. In the toothbrush aisle can be a bit overwhelming if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Here are a few hints to help you decide on the perfect toothbrush for your unique mouth.

Your Mouth

While at first glance it might appear that any toothbrush will do the trick, the truth is that toothbrush technology and our understanding of how to care for our oral health has come a long way. The type of bristles, manual or electric preferences, and other factors can influence which toothbrush will best suit your unique mouth.

Here are a few questions to consider before making a purchase:

1. Do you have braces or other dental work?
2. Do you have sensitive teeth or gums?
3. Do you think you might have a small mouth?
4. What is your price range?
5. What are your goals? Do you want teeth whitening help? Are you focused on plaque removal?

Choosing the Right Toothbrush

First, any toothbrush you use should have soft bristles. Hard bristles can cause gum recession, which is when your gums pull back from the teeth, exposing the tooth root and leading to a number of potential oral health problems..

Second, you should pick a toothbrush head that fits comfortably into your mouth. The common size is one inch long and a half inch wide. If most toothbrushes feel too big, you may need to choose one with a smaller head.

Toothbrush heads come in different sizes and shapes to accomplish different goals. For example, our Shyn Daily Whitening Brush Head keeps your teeth white with special diamond-shaped bristles that polish away stains such as coffee, red wine and tobacco from the surface of each tooth. In studies we found that the Shyn Daily Whitening Brush Head removes up to 100% more stains in one week than a manual toothbrush and 7x more plaque as well.

On the other hand, our Shyn Daily Anti-Plaque Brush Head is better suited for people with braces, as it’s great for removing the plaque and debris that typically gets trapped in them.

Other toothbrush head differences include the density and softness of the bristles. Don’t be afraid to experiment to see what works best for your brushing style.

Electric Toothbrush vs Manual Toothbrush

One of the most obvious choices you’ll face in selecting a toothbrush is whether to go manual or electric. Manual toothbrushes are obviously less expensive, but the truth is, laboratory testing shows time and again that they’re also less effective than any high quality sonic toothbrush.

For example, our lab testing revealed that the Shyn Daily Sonic Toothbrush is  6x to 7x more effective at removing plaque than a manual toothbrush depending on which Shyn brush head you choose. Tests also show that, over a 7-day period, our whitening brush head removes up to 100% more stains than a manual brush.

If price is a factor for you, there are a couple of things to consider: first, your toothbrush is an investment in your smile, which is pretty irreplaceable. Second, you don’t necessarily have to spend an outrageous amount to get an electric toothbrush that will last you a long time.  If you’re looking for one of the most affordable and customizable electric toothbrushes on the market, Shyn is a great option, because it has many of the modes and features of electric toothbrushes that retail for $100-$200—without the high price tag.

The Disposable Electric Toothbrush vs The Sonic Toothbrush

Electric toothbrushes that take disposable batteries are another option you’ll find populating the toothbrush aisle, so it’s important to understand the the difference between these and higher-end sonic toothbrushes. . Quality sonic toothbrushes provide superior cleaning power compared to other electrics because they vibrate more quickly and provide more motion to the bristles — these rapid vibrations help push toothpaste and water repeatedly between teeth and under gums, flushing out debris and gunk that other types of brushes can leave behind.

Something else to consider with drugstore-style electric toothbrushes is that they’re not designed to last long. As the motor wears down, you’ll find yourself throwing away the handle and buying a new one. This creates a lot of extra waste when compared to sonic toothbrush makers, who usually offer some type of warranty on their brush handles. For example, Shyn offers a lifetime warranty on our sonic toothbrush handle to all of our continued subscribers.   

Your Choice Matters

We talked to a lot of experts, like dentists, hygienists, and specialists, and what we learned is that oral health routines are most effective when they’re tailored to each unique mouth.

Next time you decide to purchase a toothbrush, think about how you felt about your last one, and, if there were any issues, make sure to do a bit of research to figure out which toothbrush, whether manual or electric, might suit your needs better.

How do you choose the right toothbrush? Let us know in the comments below or tweet to us @ShynDaily using the hashtag #ShynDaily.