Hard bristle toothbrushes are unsafe for use

Ms. Augustina Worlasi Seadzi, a Dental Surgery Technician at the International Maritime Hospital (IMaH) in Tema, has advised against brushing teeth with hard-bristled toothbrushes since it causes tooth and gum problems. 

She said many people believed that using hard-bristled toothbrushes and overbrushing their teeth meant that their teeth or mouth were clean, stressing “overbrushing and the use of hard-bristle toothbrushes, are key dental issues that dentist face in their line of work”.

Ms. Seadzi said this at the weekly “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility! A Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office initiative aimed at promoting health-related communication and providing a platform for health information dissemination to influence personal health choices through improved health literacy.

Ms Seadzi stated that the toothbrushes caused gum damage and wore away the surface of the teeth.

She explained that the area where the teeth and gum contacted was known as the neck of the teeth or the enamel, and that because the crown and root of the teeth connected, applying too much pressure may wear it off and push the gum back.

Ms Seadzi added that applying pressure to the teeth or using hard bristle toothbrushes over a long period of time could cause one to have sensitivity when he or she drinks hot or cold liquids or food.

“There are people who generally cannot take hot or cold things because they will have sensitivity in the teeth,” she noted.

She also advised that, immediately after eating, “wash the mouth with water to get food particles out, especially around the wisdom teeth area”.

She stated again that rinsing the mouth with water sometimes cleans the gum and she discouraged people from using toothbrushes to brush or clean the gum.

She therefore recommended that Ghanaians used soft to medium-bristle toothbrushes rather than hard ones.