A small head and soft-to-medium bristles, used gently twice a day.
Powered brushes remove a little more plaque than manual ones. The difference is modest; technique matters more.
Replace when bristles splay, about every three months.
Toothbrush
Curaprox CS 5460 Ultra Soft
A small head with 5,460 very fine (0.10mm) filaments, so it cleans without scrubbing enamel or gums. Widely recommended by dentists.
£4–61 brushAbout 1p a brush at 2 brushes a day, replaced every 3 months.
Buy on AmazonWorth knowing
- UK guidance gives a small head with medium bristles as its default. Ultra soft is gentler; use a light grip and two minutes either way.
What we ruled out
Hard bristles. Hard bristles with heavy brushing wear enamel and gums. They don't clean better.
Premium electric brushes with apps and modes. The evidence is for the oscillating-rotating action, which the entry model has. Apps and extra modes cost more without more evidence.
Hard-bristle brushes. Don't clean better and can wear gums and enamel.
Sources
- Delivering better oral health: an evidence-based toolkit for prevention, chapter 2 summary tables, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, NHS England (2021)
- Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (CD002281), Cochrane (2014)