Best Extra Soft Manual Toothbrush (Full Review)

Dentist Tested and Reviewed

Brushing habits are essential to promote healthy teeth and gums and prevent tooth decay.

Periodontal disease occurs when bacteria localize deep below the gum line leading to gum inflammation and bone loss.

This process is irreversible, so it’s essential to prevent this from occurring or arresting the disease process before tooth loss occurs.

As an experienced dentist with years of experience, I’ve tested and evaluated 300+ dental products. I strive to find the best products for achieving excellent oral hygiene, so let’s take a closer look at the Best Extra Soft Manual Toothbrush from a dentist’s perspective.

Recommended Reading: Read more about Periodontal Disease

Buying Guide

1. Best Overall: Dr. Collins PERIO Supersoft
2. Best Gum Care: Oral-B Gum Care Compact Extra Soft
3. Best Budget: Colgate Gum Health Ultra Soft
4. Best Complete Care: Colgate 360 Sensitive Extra Soft
5. Best Sensitivity: 4-Pieces Soft Micro-Nano Extra Soft

Effects of Periodontal Disease

Unfortunately, gum disease becomes more prevalent as we age.

As a result, oral health care companies have designed specialized extra-soft toothbrushes to eliminate gum disease-causing bacteria while minimizing gum recession and tooth irritation.

When bone loss occurs, the gum tissue follows, exposing a hypersensitive area of enamel or cementum along the root surface. These extra-soft toothbrushes are beneficial to patients in their fight against periodontal disease.

Key Factors

• Gum recession
• Irreversible bone loss
• Tooth sensitivity
• Bad breath
• Inflamed gums
• Teeth mobility
• Tooth loss
• Increased bacteria
• Correlation with systemic health issues

Evaluation Criteria

I (Dr. Hannan) tested each product for 7-14 days, detailing its pros and cons, and rated it from 1 to 5 in four key areas.

• Effectiveness: Is the toothbrush effective at removing plaque? Did the brush head design translate to improved results?
• Comfort: Were the bristles comfortable on the gums and teeth? Was the brush head comfortable to use? Is the toothbrush comfortable to grip?
• Features: What features are unique to toothbrushes? Are the features effective and do they translate to improved oral hygiene?
• Likeability: Is the toothbrush likeable and enjoyable to use?

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1. Best Overall | Dr. Collins PERIO Supersoft

Best for patients with larger mouths and sensitive gums.

Dentist Review

The Dr. Collins toothbrush has an adequate handle size and grips to limit slipping.

The curved end of the handle allows you to rock the toothbrush around hard-to-reach areas.

It’s comfortable to hold and very lightweight as well. The oval-shaped brush head is wider in the middle to wrap around taller teeth. The feathered polyester bristles are incredibly comfortable on the gums and slide easily between the teeth.

There is a wide range of bristle densities between the toothbrushes being reviewed.

Dr. Collins has the right amount of bristles to flex around teeth without collapsing easily. The cleaning effectiveness was excellent, and it was enjoyable to use.

Cons

The oval-shaped brush head is more prominent than expected; however, it became more comfortable each time we used it.

Also, it would have been nice to have a tongue and cheek cleaner on the brush head.

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2. Best Gum Care | Oral-B Gum Care Compact Extra Soft

Best for patients desiring more clean and less comfort.

Dentist Review

Oral-B designed a great toothbrush with multiple tufts of soft bristles.

Its tiny brush head was comfortable around hard-to-reach areas. The handle was extremely comfortable to grip and eliminated unnecessary rotation or slipping.

The multi-level bristles are a unique design feature that helps clean away plaque between the teeth.

Cons

The extra soft bristles felt stiff and unforgiving at times, most likely because of how tightly packed they are within each tuft.

Also, the tufts prevented the brush from gliding over the teeth comfortably. Lastly, a tongue and cheek cleaner would have been an excellent addition.

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3. Best Budget | Colgate Gum Health Ultra Soft

Best for patients with sensitive gums and larger mouths.

Dentist Review

The Colgate Gum Health Ultra Soft Toothbrush effectively eliminates bacteria along the gum line and between the teeth.

The bristles are feathered and flexible to bend around tall teeth. The bristle density is also well-designed and comfortable along the gum line.

The handle features a comfortable grip to minimize slipping; however, we would have appreciated a slightly thicker handle.

Cons

In our opinion, the brush head was too long and narrow.

However, we became more comfortable with the length the more we used it.

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4. Best Complete Care | Colgate 360 Sensitive Extra Soft

Best for patients that desire round rotating, oscillating brush head.

Dentist Review

This toothbrush was by far the most comfortable to hold and maneuver.

The brush head is a perfect size with evenly spaced bristle tufts. The bristles had great flex to clean around teeth and gum lines. The polishing cups were a great feature to clean away stains and polish the teeth. A tongue cleaner was included and effective.

Colgate did a great job designing the bristle placement with the tooth’s shape in mind.

Cons

The bristles were soft but not as soft as Dr. Collins PERIO toothbrush.

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5. Best Sensitivity | 4-Pieces Soft Micro-Nano Extra Soft

Best for patients with small mouths and hard-to-reach areas.

Dentist Review

It’s easy to forget you’re even brushing your teeth when using this toothbrush.

4-Pieces are incredibly soft and gentle on the teeth and gums.

The staggered bristle height was effective around the gum line to fit between the teeth.

The 20,000 ultra-soft bristles packed tightly into this small brush head deserve kudos!

Also, the tongue and cheek cleaner was a great addition to remove odor-causing bacteria.

Cons

Individually the soft bristles are exceptional; however, because they are packed so tightly, there’s minimal give around the teeth limiting the ability to clean around all aspects of the teeth.

The handle is sleek and smooth.

However, it does slip around when wet.

Also, the bristles are prone to bacteria because of their inability to dry out between uses.

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Overall Champion | Dr. Collins PERIO Supersoft Toothbrush*

Final Thoughts

Dr. Collins PERIO and Colgate 360 received a perfect 20/20 score.

Both brushes provided an exceptional clean with extra soft bristles easily flexing around the teeth. Also, both toothbrushes were lightweight and comfortable to hold.

Dr. Collins edged Colgate 360 because the bristles were thinner, feathered, and more comfortable along the gum line. Colgate 360 is still a superior toothbrush and best for people with stains with its unique polishing cups.

Colgate Gum Health placed third but had the second-best comfortable bristles. Oral-B and 4-Pieces round out the final two and are best suited for individuals with small mouths or hard-to-reach areas.

Final Rankings

1. Dr. Collins PERIO Supersoft Toothbrush 20/20
2. Colgate 360 Sensitive Extra Soft Toothbrush 20/20
3. Colgate Gum Health Ultra Soft Toothbrush 18/20
4. Oral-B Gum Care Compact Extra Soft Toothbrush 16/20
5. 4-Pieces Soft Micro-Nano Extra Soft Toothbrush 15/20

* My Dental Advocate product reviews are based on individual experience and your results with the products may vary.

Need a second opinion? We can help! Learn more. Knowledge is power when cultivating healthy dental habits. The more informed you are, the better positioned you’ll be to prevent avoidable and potentially costly dental procedures for you and your family. Watch for future blog posts, where we’ll continue sharing important information, product reviews and practical advice!