As an Amazon Associate, Mouthpower.org earns from qualifying purchases.
Best manual toothbrushes for receding gums
If bacterial plaque is not removed effectively from the teeth and gum line it will quickly infect and inflame gum tissue. A daily toothbrushing routine with a suitable toothbrush is the most important action you can take to prevent and control receding gums.
There are certain characteristics that make some toothbrushes more suitable than others. In this article, we look at some of the best toothbrushes and how toothbrushing relates to gum disease, receding gums. and gum abrasion.
The Curaprox CS 5460 toothbrush is a great choice for people with gum recession. It has 5460 densely packed Curen® bristles that can gently remove plaque without causing any damage to the gum tissue or teeth enamel.
Curaprox is a bright and energetic brand that produces a colorful range of toothbrushes and oral health products. Curaprox is also an expert in the area of dental hygiene and regularly runs training for health professionals like dental hygienists. With a wealth of experience and knowledge about teeth cleaning and dental hygiene, Curaprox has developed a whole range of regular and specialist toothbrushes.
The quality, material, thickness, length, and angle of cleaning bristles are all key characteristics that contribute to the effectiveness of a toothbrush. Curaprox set themselves apart from the competition by using their own patented bristles. The diameter of a toothbrush bristle is an important attribute that defines the softness of a toothbrush. The Curen® bristles have a specific diameter of 0.1mm which is exceptionally fine compared to most toothbrushes. Curaprox uses these ultra-fine bristles in very dense formations to create a toothbrush cleaning head that is both effective and gentle on gums and teeth.
The Zentflex is the only toothbrush that guarantees you will always brush with the optimum pressure. It has a unique mechanism that prevents aggressive toothbrushing and tooth structure damage.
Not all toothbrushes are created the same and the award-winning Radius scuba is a toothbrush with a twist, quite literally!
The extra-large, oval-shaped brush head is designed to give a superior clean. With a flexible neck, the radius toothbrush lets you target the hard to reach areas that are prone to tooth decay. The bristles are made from soft, vegetable-based nylon that can last 3 x longer than your average toothbrush. The cleaning head is soft to the touch and the bristles are strategically positioned to provide an even pressure that reduces the chance of receding gums and toothbrush erosion.
The angled, flexible neck is key to the success of the Radius toothbrush. The easy-grip handle and ergonomic design help you accurately control the pressure applied to your teeth helping to avoid gum recession and enamel wear.
Unlike other toothbrushes, the Radius Scuba is available in right-handed and left-handed versions. This means that everyone can take advantage of this uniquely designed toothbrush.
For environmentally-conscious consumers, Radius is a brand worth checking out. They have an impressively holistic approach to the design, manufacture, and distribution of their products.
Best Electric toothbrushes for receding gums
The Philips Sonicare 4100 is one of the most popular models on the market. It is a tried and tested design that will remove plaque from your teeth and gum line.
A study published in 2019 concluded that long-term usage of an electric toothbrush like the Sonicare 4100 will help reduce the progression of gum disease.
Triple Bristle
The Triple Bristle toothbrush cleans 3 tooth surfaces at the same time. This unique cleaning action can help provide a superior brushing experience and improve oral health.
Oral B Genius X
ORAL-B GENIUS SERIES
Oral B continues to push the technology envelope with its high-end Genius toothbrushes. By analyzing how electric toothbrushes can both contribute to, and prevent gum recession Oral-B has implemented a set of features and safeguards to keep the gums healthy. It is now generally accepted that brushing your teeth with too much force can damage gum tissue and teeth enamel. To counteract the possible effects of over-aggressive toothbrushing, the Oral-B Genius 3000 has a set of features designed to protect the teeth and gums.
SENSI CLEANING HEAD
The Genius 9000 comes with Oral-B’s new ultra-soft Sensi cleaning head. By combining ultra-thin filaments with regular bristles, the Sensi cleaning head can easily disrupt plaque without causing any stress to the teeth and gums.
PRESSURE SENSOR + SMART RING
If you brush your teeth with too much pressure, there is a danger that you might damage your teeth enamel and gum tissue. To prevent users from unwittingly damaging their own teeth, the Genius 9000 has a pressure sensor control system that glows red to alert the user that they are being too aggressive with their brushing technique.
GUM GUARD TECHNOLOGY
The Bluetooth capability of the Genius 9000 enables the toothbrush to connect to Oral-B’s App and give real feedback on toothbrushing performance. This allows you to see when and where you are applying too much pressure to your teeth and gums.
What Is Gum Recession?
Every tooth should have a minimum of two millimeters of healthy gum tissue surrounding and protecting the tooth root from bacteria and food debris. When gum recession occurs this layer of gum begins to vanish, exposing more of the tooth and root as it goes. The most common cause of a receding gum line is gum disease, but it can also be a result of dental trauma, wearing braces, and over-aggressive toothbrushing. Gum disease is the most common cause of gum recession. It is estimated that about 50% of Americans over thirty years of age have gum disease and by the age of 65, 70% of the population have infected gums. When gum disease is present, harmful bacteria begin to slowly destroy the protective tissue that surrounds the teeth causing the gums to pull away from the teeth. Although gum disease is destructive to the gums and underlying bone tissue it is usually completely painless and as a result, it can go unnoticed until the damage is done and the teeth roots become exposed.
Have Your Gums Receded?
Although gum disease is often pain-free and unnoticeable, there are some tell-tale symptoms that can alert you that all is not well in your mouth. Common signs that you may be suffering from gum disease include –
- Bad breath.
- Traces of blood on your toothbrush.
- Foul taste in your mouth.
- Loose teeth.
- Your teeth appear visibly longer.
- Increased tooth sensitivity.
Toothbrush Characteristics
Research has shown that dental plaque forms quicker when gum inflammation is already present in an individual’s mouth. This means that effective plaque control is even more important in the management and control of gum disease and receding gums. Toothbrushes have an important role to play in the mechanical removal of plaque but it is also important that the cleaning bristles don’t continually damage and wear away the fragile gum tissue. There are a number of characteristics that make a toothbrush suitable for the management of gum recession:
TYPES OF TOOTHBRUSH
There are many different types of toothbrushes to choose from, and some are more suitable for receding gums than others. Although there is a large selection of sonic, rotary, and hybrid electric toothbrushes as well as a huge number of manual brushes available, research suggests it is best to choose a brush that is soft and not overly aggressive. High powered electric brushes with stiff bristles are best avoided if you have advanced gum recession.
BRISTLE MATERIAL
The material that the toothbrush bristles are manufactured from can have an impact of gum recession. So-called bristle-less toothbrushes that use soft rubber instead of nylon can be a good choice. Manufactures like Foreo and Periclean use soft rubber instead of nylon to ensure that the cleaning head will not cause any damage to the gum tissue. Burst Oral Care infuses their bristles with Binchotan charcoal, while Radius uses soft vegetable-based nylon to create a gentle cleaning experience. Both these manufacturers would also be a good choice.
BRISTLE ANGLE
Some manufacturers design toothbrushes with angled and criss-cross bristles instead of flat trim bristles in an attempt to make them more efficient at removing plaque. Research has shown that although toothbrushes with angled bristles can be more effective they also have no negative effect on gum recession compared to straight bristles so it can be worth considering toothbrushes that use creative bristle configurations.
BRISTLE HARDNESS
Studies have shown that hard toothbrush bristles can be stiff enough to damage teeth enamel that is in a weakened state. This can break the attachment between the teeth and the gums and contribute to recession. People who have a high level of dental health from a lifestyle of good oral hygiene habits and a sensible diet should be able to use harder bristle brushes without causing any damage. But people who are suffering from gum disease should use a softer brush and focus more on cleaning every surface of every tooth thoroughly.
“While it is vital that a toothbrush is efficient at removing plaque it is also important that the cleaning bristles don’t damage and wear away gum tissue and cause receding gums”.
Dr. Mohamed Tarek
