Eco Friendly Toothbrush: compostable, bamboo and miswak siwak

Eco Friendly Toothbrush: compostable, bamboo and miswak siwak

Over the years, our commitment to the environment has increased. In that regard, the toothbrush has always been in the spotlight for several reasons.

The first reason is because of the constant renewal it requires, as every three months you have to change your toothbrush.

The second reason lies in the plastic. Conventional toothbrushes are made of different types of plastic, which makes them very difficult to recycle.

The situation is made worse by the fact that they have to be replaced every three months and that toothbrushes alone can take up to 400 years to decompose naturally.

This has led to greater social awareness of the issue. In fact, natural toothbrushes are becoming increasingly popular.

Therefore, today we are going to show you the essential information you should know about them so that you can reflect on whether or not the use of this type of eco-friendly toothbrushes is suitable for your oral health and for the environment.

Key to success: good daily hygiene
Maintaining good oral health is one of the major concerns of our patients. In fact, there is a growing awareness of the different diseases that can result from inadequate dental hygiene.

Although complex, the success of good dental hygiene does not depend exclusively on daily routine or consistency. The key lies in the brushing technique, both of the teeth and the tongue.

However, it is important to have an appropriate toothbrush for your case and other elements that complement your daily hygiene -see fluoride, dental floss or dental irrigator-.

However, although frequency and consistency are essential to maintain the health of your teeth, the effectiveness will depend on a good toothbrushing technique.

Toothbrush, what is it?
The toothbrush is one of the instruments of daily use for our dental hygiene.

It is used to clean the teeth and gums, and thus remove food debris and bacteria that live in our mouth.

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As they are in constant contact with the oral cavity, a great source of bacteria, the useful life of toothbrushes is very short.

What specialists advise is to change the toothbrush every three months. However, depending on the materials used, the toothbrush may have to be replaced every two weeks.

For this reason, it is very important to understand the function of the toothbrush and to know the different options that exist according to your specific problem.

Why are there different types of toothbrushes?
As we have said, the choice of toothbrush is not essential for good daily hygiene. However, a good choice can help hygiene to be more effective.

Toothbrushes can be classified into different types.

For example, depending on the hardness of its bristles, the toothbrush can be hard (the bristles are stiff), medium (the usual toothbrush) or soft (the toothbrush recommended for people with sensitive gums or suffering from gingivitis or other temporary ailments).

Another way to classify this necessary instrument for oral hygiene is according to its functionality.

For example, patients with tartar problems usually use interproximal brushes, or patients with periodontitis or gingivitis problems usually use a periodontal brush with two very soft and separate bristle strips.

Children, for example, also use a special children’s toothbrush, which has fewer rows of bristles and a smaller head and handle that facilitates hygiene at an early age.

The most common way to classify toothbrushes, however, is according to their manufacturing material.

In this sense, the most common toothbrush is made of plastic. The bristles are made of nylon and the handle is usually made of different types of plastics and petroleum derivatives, such as PVC.

However, due to increased awareness about the environment and the Planet, the use of natural toothbrushes made, for example, with materials such as bamboo, has spread.

One percent of the plastic waste that pollutes seas and oceans comes from improperly discarded toothbrushes.

What are eco friendly toothbrushes?
We could say that natural toothbrushes are those toothbrushes made of biodegradable material, ideally both the handle and the bristles.

There are different toothbrushes that are made of non-plastic materials. Below, we will explain each one of them.

What types of eco friendly toothbrushes are there?
Over the years, different types of toothbrushes have been known that could be classified as natural, either because of their manufacturing process or because they are supposedly easy to recycle.

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The most talked about is the bamboo toothbrush. However, it is not the only one.

Compostable toothbrush
This is the most similar model to the plastic toothbrush, but without plastic, since its only similarity is in the design.

The compostable brush has been designed by Word Centric so that once you have finished using your brush, it can be composted and finally recycled.

This is made possible by replacing the traditional plastic with a biodegradable fiber for both the handle and the storage case.

The problem (at an environmental level) lies in the fences, as they are usually made of nylon. Something positive for our oral health, but not for recycling.

Bamboo toothbrush
Bamboo toothbrushes are the latest toothbrush sensation.

These supposedly sustainable brushes are made from bamboo, the fastest growing plant on the planet.

Eco-friendly toothbrushes accumulate more bacteria because natural bamboo is the ideal place to harbor bacteria.

Therefore, if you opt for these brushes, you should renew them every two weeks to ensure proper dental hygiene.

If we think about the environment, due to their sustainable material, they do seem a good option. These brushes reduce plastics in the oceans and, in turn, marine animals reduce the number of microplastics ingested.

However, what we should pay attention to is the bristles of the brush. These will tell us whether the brush is really recyclable or not.

If the bristles are made of bamboo, they scratch the surface of the teeth, cause wear of the enamel and cause problems of abrasion and irritation to the gums. However, the toothbrush is recyclable.

In contrast, some bamboo toothbrushes are sold with nylon bristles. This is better for our oral health, but for proper recycling the bristles should be removed from the handle.

Natural bamboo toothbrushes
Enlarge image
BAMBOO TOOTHBRUSHES
Miswak Siwak toothbrush
We finish with the Miswak or siwak toothbrush. It is one of the first toothbrushes in history, although nowadays its use is not very common.

This toothbrush comes from the branch of the Arak tree -known as the Persian savior-, and is about 15 cms long. The branch has a large number of fibers that allow interdental hygiene.

For its use, prior preparation is required.

It should be left in water for a while so that it is not too hard. The head should then be carefully cut until the bristles of the root are reached, which should also be softened before use to avoid damaging the gums.

Of course, the use of this brush in modern times is almost anecdotal.

Do we recommend these eco friendly toothbrushes?
Although some natural toothbrushes do help to improve the environment, in general they are not the most advisable if we want to maintain good dental hygiene.

The main problem lies in the bristles that usually accompany these natural toothbrushes.

To avoid irritating the gums and to keep them in a healthy state, it is recommended that the bristles of the toothbrush be made of nylon, ideally soft and with rounded tips.

Experts say that the elasticity, strength and evenness of nylon bristles help repel water and food debris much more efficiently than boar or bamboo bristles, which are often used to make these natural toothbrushes.

However, if you want to do your bit and contribute with these small gestures to the environment, we recommend you try a toothbrush whose handle may be biodegradable but has nylon bristles. This way your gums will not be affected and you can make a small gesture for the Planet.

In any case, before buying a toothbrush, we recommend that you consult your periodontist or hygienist to find out which toothbrush is ideal according to the condition of your gums.

We would like to finish by reminding you once again that the choice of toothbrush is important but, ultimately, what will determine whether or not you have good daily hygiene is your consistency and, above all, your brushing technique.

When brushing, save water
If you turn off the tap while brushing, you can save an average of 550,000 liters of water over your lifetime.

Another eco-friendly brushing trick
If you give importance to these small everyday gestures, don’t miss our last tip!

One of the most common mistakes we make when brushing our teeth is to leave the faucet running during brushing.

With this small gesture during brushing, we reduce our carbon footprint and, therefore, the volume of water we use every day.

This efficient water consumption during brushing is also of great importance for the future of the planet.

Would you like to contact us to make an appointment with our specialists?

Call us at +1 619 372 5409 🇺🇸 +52 664 590 8321 🇲🇽 , or use the contact form on our website, and ask for your first free appointment.

We will give you a complete diagnosis and an estimate without obligation.

 

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Bibliographic references

• Archives of Bronchopneumology (2005). National Consensus on Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome (SAHS). Vol. 41. No. S4. pages 7-9 (https://www.archbronconeumol.org/es-consenso-nacional-sobre-el-sindrome-articulo-13084320)
• Durán-Cantolla, J., Alkhraisat, M.H., Martínez-Null, C., Aguirre, J.J., Guinea, E.R., Anitua E. (2015). Frequency of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome in Dental Patients with Tooth Wear. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.11 (4): 445-50. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25665693)
• Wetselaar, P., Manfredini, D., Ahlberg, J., Johansson, A., Aarab, G., Papagianni, C.E., Reyes Sevilla, M., Koutris M., Lobbezoo, F. (2019). Associations between tooth wear and dental sleep disorders: A narrative overview. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation. 46 (8): 765-775 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31038764).
• American Dental Association (ADA). Sleep apnea and snoring. (https://www.mouthhealthy.org/es-MX/az-topics/s/sleep-apnea-and-snoring)
• American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. (2015) Dentists treat sleep apnea, too. (https://www.aadsm.org/for_patients.php)

At DrAW Dental Clinic we are guided by editorial guidelines that ensure the accuracy of all the information we publish. If you would like to know more about how we ensure that our content is up-to-date and properly supported, we encourage you to read our editorial commitment.

 

 

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