Decisions, Decisions

Since the first cave dwellers sharpened twigs for toothpicks, people have found ways to clean their teeth. But the modern toothbrush was not born until 1938, when Dr. West’s Miracle Tuft Toothbrush introduced nylon bristles. For the next 40 years toothbrushes were selected mainly for color and bristle stiffness, but today, shoppers can choose from such models as:

* Oral-B Indicator with a blue band of bristles that slowly fade, letting you know when to replace the toothbrush.

* Aquafresh Flex with a “shock absorber” flexible neck, non-slip grip and angled, tapered head.

* Quick Brush gel-filled brush for “any time, any place” brushing.

* Crest Complete with rippled bristles designed to get between teeth.

* Colgate Precision with “triple-action” angled outer bristles (for the gum line), long inner bristles (between teeth) and shorter bristles (tooth surfaces).

* Johnson & Johnson’s Reach with a “unique bi-level bristle system” to clean even the back teeth.

* Improve from Prevent Care Products with a deep-V groove between the bristle rows to position them over the teeth at a 45-degree angle for perfect cleaning.