Top 5 Best Extra Soft Manual Toothbrush 2023
Dentist Tested and Reviewed | Time to Read: 8 mins
By: Dr. Advocate
Updated: March 30, 2023
Toothbrushes have significantly evolved from simple toothbrushes with uniform bristles to rechargeable ones that pair with your phone. Brushing habits are essential to promote healthy teeth and gums and prevent tooth decay. Healthy gums and bones are the foundation for stable teeth.
Periodontal disease occurs when bacteria localize deep below the gum line leading to gum inflammation and bone loss. This process is irreversible, so itâs essential to prevent this from occurring or arresting the disease process before tooth loss occurs.
Recommended Reading: Read more about Periodontal Disease
Effects of Periodontal Disease
- Gum recession
- Irreversible bone loss
- Tooth sensitivity
- Bad breath
- Inflamed gums
- Teeth mobility
- Tooth loss
- Increased bacteria
- Correlation with systemic health issues
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.
From a dentistâs perspective, letâs look at the Top 5 Best Extra Soft Toothbrush.
Tested and Reviewed
- Best Overall: Dr. Collins PERIO Supersoft Toothbrush
- Best Gum Care: Oral-B Gum Care Compact Extra Soft Toothbrush
- Best Budget: Colgate Gum Health Ultra Soft Toothbrush
- Best Complete Care: Colgate 360 Sensitive Extra Soft Toothbrush
- Best Sensitivity: 4-Pieces Soft Micro-Nano Extra Soft Toothbrush
Evaluation Criteria
We highlight each product’s unique, advertised benefits, identify their pros and cons and score each one from 1 to 5 based on four categories. The extra soft manual toothbrush with the highest score is crowned the overall champion; however, weâll also give suggested patient benefits for each product. Prices listed are subject to change.
- 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. Dr. Collins PERIO Supersoft Toothbrush
Dr. Collins is âbringing smiles to life.â They offer multiple oral care products, including toothbrushes, floss, toothpaste, and whitening products. The PERIO Toothbrush is their #1 product and features polyester bristles to minimize bacterial growth. The bristles are treated with a patented tapering technique and are less porous than ordinary nylon bristles.
Their slim and supersoft finish allows further bristle penetration between teeth and gums. In addition, their PERIO line includes PERIO Floss and other periodontal disease-focused products.
Highlights
- Elongated neck for easy reach
- Supersoft polyester bristles
- Feathered bristle tips
- Large brush head
Results
Effectiveness: âââââ
Comfort: âââââ
Features âââââ
Likeability: âââââ
Total: 20/20
Best for patients with larger mouths and sensitive gums
What we like
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. Itâs 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.
What we don’t
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.
2. Oral-B Gum Care Compact Extra Soft Toothbrush
The Oral B Gum Care Extra-Soft Compact Head Toothbrush improves your gum health with ultra-soft bristles, which gently clean along the gumline and multilevel bristles clean deep between teeth. It has a compact head for superior reach to your back teeth.
The ultra-soft bristles are five times more gentle than a regular soft toothbrush and are perfect for those with sensitive teeth and gums.
Highlights
- Compact brush head
- Multi-level bristles
- Ultra-soft bristles
- 5x more bristle tips
- Designed with dentists
Results
Effectiveness: âââââ
Comfort: âââââ
Features âââââ
Likeability: âââââ
Total: 16/20
Best for patients desiring more clean and less comfort
What we like
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.
What we don’t
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.
3. Colgate Gum Health Ultra Soft Toothbrush
Colgate seeks to develop products that promote healthy smiles. Theyâve been in the oral health care industry for over 145 years and offer a range of oral care products. Sustainability is also important to them as they recently created a first-of-its-kind recyclable toothpaste tube.
Colgate also offers many educational resources to the public and dental professionals. They have an extensive line of manual, battery, and electric toothbrushes. This ultra-soft toothbrush features ultra-slim floss-tip bristles that provide â300% better gum health improvementâ.
Highlights
- â300% reduction in gingival bleedingâ
- Less than 0.01 mm ultra-soft bristles
- âCleans 2.4x deeper between teethâ
- Deep clean bristles for sensitive gums
Results
Effectiveness: âââââ
Comfort: âââââ
Features âââââ
Likeability: âââââ
Total: 18/20
Best for patients with sensitive gums and larger mouths.
What we like
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.
What we don’t
In our opinion, the brush head was too long and narrow; however, we became more comfortable with the length the more we used it.
4. Colgate 360 Sensitive Extra Soft Toothbrush
Colgate 360 Sensitive has â48% softer bristlesâ and gently cleans sensitive teeth and gums. The brush head also features a cheek and tongue cleaner to remove odor-causing bacteria comfortably.
Letâs take a closer look at Colgateâs extra-soft toothbrush.
(30% Off Code: XE994G)
Highlights
- â48% softer bristlesâ
- Cheek and tongue cleaner
- Polishing cups to remove stain
- Raised cleaning tips
- Cleans hard-to-reach areas
Results
Effectiveness: âââââ
Comfort: âââââ
Features âââââ
Likeability: âââââ
Total: 20/20
Best for patients that desire round rotating, oscillating brush head.
What we like
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 toothâs shape in mind.
What we don’t
The bristles were soft but not as soft as Dr. Collins PERIO toothbrush.
Colgate 360 Sensitive has â48% softer bristlesâ and gently cleans sensitive teeth and gums. The brush head also features a cheek and tongue cleaner to remove odor-causing bacteria comfortably.
5. 4-Pieces Soft Micro-Nano Extra Soft Toothbrush
4-Pieces is a popular e-commerce product line with an impressive 20,000 extra soft micro-nano bristles. This toothbrush features a sleek brush handle and a small brush head to clean hard-to-reach areas. Also, it has multi-level bristles to clean deep within the grooves of the teeth.
Highlights
- 20,000 soft bristles
- Sleek design
- Micro-nano technology
- Multi-level bristles
- Small brush head
- Tongue and cheek cleaner
Results
Effectiveness: âââââ
Comfort: âââââ
Features âââââ
Likeability: âââââ
Total: 15/20
Best for patients with small mouths and hard-to-reach areas.
What we like
Itâs easy to forget youâre 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.
What we don’t
Individually the soft bristles are exceptional; however, because they are packed so tightly, thereâs 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.
Overall Champion: Dr. Collins PERIO Supersoft Toothbrush*
Dr. Collins is âbringing smiles to life.â They offer multiple oral care products, including toothbrushes, floss, toothpaste, and whitening products. The PERIO Toothbrush is their #1 product and features polyester bristles to minimize bacterial growth. The bristles are treated with a patented tapering technique and are less porous than ordinary nylon bristles.
Their slim and supersoft finish allows further bristle penetration between teeth and gums. In addition, their PERIO line includes PERIO Floss and other periodontal disease-focused products.
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
- Dr. Collins PERIO Supersoft Toothbrush 20/20
- Colgate 360 Sensitive Extra Soft Toothbrush 20/20
- Colgate Gum Health Ultra Soft Toothbrush 18/20
- Oral-B Gum Care Compact Extra Soft Toothbrush 16/20
- 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.
The more you know, the more healthy habits you can develop, saving you and your family from avoidable and potentially expensive dental procedures. Talk to your dental professional for more suggestions on improving oral health and check back for more blog posts and relevant information. Please share this site and let us know what else youâd like to know!