What ‘s the Deal with Toothbrushes?

Why is it so difficult to find the right toothbrush?

I was brushing my teeth this morning and I was aggravated that I didn’t have the same kind of toothbrush I’d bought before. I don’t remember what kind I had but I liked it. This one is only big enough to do one tooth at a time. That’s great if you only have one tooth left, but I’m still in possession of most of my pearly whites. I don’t want to spend hours brushing one tooth at a time.

Why do they make finding the right toothbrush so difficult? I went shopping for a new toothbrush not long ago. There were thousands of them, and I couldn’t pick out the one kind I liked from the multitude. I’m sorry but half of them look like the kind I like and the other half I know I hate and I leave not buying any of them. The one I’m using was actually given to me in my Christmas stuff or maybe it came from the dentist, either way, it was free and it was time to retire the other one. I mean, it was losing more bristles every time I brushed. I was having to pick fibers out of my teeth with a pick. That was fun.

I like a soft brush. I brush my teeth at least twice a day and I have sensitive teeth and gums, so I don’t want a wire brush scraping across sensitive flesh and precious enamel. Heck, I’m trying to keep my teeth not erode them away faster. Who would need a hard toothbrush? What are they scraping off that they have to have something hard enough to scar the flesh and rip groves in their dentures? What have they been eating? Maybe they should change their diet? I don’t know. My teeth hurt just thinking about it.

It is believed the Chinese invented the first natural bristle toothbrush in the 1400s using pigs’ hair and bone or bamboo for the handles. Europeans adopted this design but decided horsehair and wood was a better choice. At least it was Kosher. Before you start freaking out over the ancient toothbrushes, think about the toothpastes used. The Ancients used a variety of things to whiten their teeth and freshen breath but not all of them are things I’d want to put in my mouth. Egyptians were thought to use ground ox hooves’ ashes, burnt eggshells, and pumice…I bet those teeth didn’t last long. The Chinese used ginseng, mints and salts, I might be able to handle that, but the Greeks and Romans had a paste of crushed bones, oyster shells, charcoal and tree bark…yum. Our modern toothpaste is often filled with sugar, and I have to wonder if the better tasting stuff isn’t sending us back to the dentist. Is that a conspiracy? Maybe I should save my bones and eggshells and make my own? Just one of my random thoughts…sometimes it’s not safe to be inside my head.

So whether you use a hard or soft bristle brush, nylon fibers or natural, and whatever your choice of tooth polish, I hope this gave you a reason to smile.