- The hardness of the hair of my toothbrush, it matters?

Yes but not as we think: you have to take a toothbrush with soft bristles. Banish the hard and even the medium hairs, too aggressive.

Why ? "Good" brushing should allow the bristles of the toothbrush to intersect in the interdental spaces to remove plaque. With a hair too rigid, it's impossible mission!

- Cross-bristled toothbrush, silicone strips ... is not it?

Not always . Brushes with "teeth" silicone better seal surface stains due to tea, coffee ....

As for the implantation of the hairs or even more or less triangular forms of toothbrush, the difference is minimal. A detail: the longer the hairs, the better they will find the plate in the back of the mouth. After, it's a matter of personal comfort.

The only toothbrush to really avoid: cheap travel models because the hairs are not polished but severed and can hurt the gums.

- The flexible handle of my toothbrush is a real plus or a marketing argument?

It all depends on his brushing technique. There is a tendency to open the mouth wide to reach the bottom teeth.

Or it should be kept semi-closed and leave the soft cheek to access molars or even wisdom teeth even with a straight handle.

Do electric toothbrushes really clean better?

Yes. With these models, more toothbrushes need to brush: just move the quenotte brush into a quenotte. 2.5 times more plaque is removed than with a manual toothbrush.

And this figure can go up to 5 times more with the high-end models (Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean type or Oral B tri-zone).

And "ultrasonic" toothbrushes, how does it work?

These are toothbrushes that use ultrasound, ie the same technique as the dentist when descaling but studies on these products are still few. No precipitation…

Thank you to Dr. Christophe Lequart, dental surgeon and communication officer of the French Union for Oral Health.