Best Everyday Manual Toothbrush (Full Review)

Dentist Tested and Reviewed

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.

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 Everyday Toothbrush from a dentist’s perspective.

Buying Guide

1. Best Overall: GUM Deep Clean
2. Best Budget: Colgate 360 Whole Mouth Clean
3. Best Bristles: Colgate 360 Advanced
4. Best Travel: Oral-B Clic Manual
5. Best Gum Care: Oral-B Pro-Flex Expert Clean
6. Best Sensitivity: Oral-B Bacterial Blast

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

[icon type=”fas fa-arrow-right” color=”#5d9ee1″] Related: Learn more about Periodontal Disease

Gum disease becomes more prevalent as we age.

As a result, oral health care companies have designed specialized everyday 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 standard toothbrushes benefit patients in their fight against periodontal disease and prevent tooth decay.

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 likable and enjoyable to use?

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1. Best Overall | GUM Deep Clean

Best for patients with sensitive teeth or gums.

Pros

The GUM toothbrush features a highly innovative and comfortable four-surface handle.

The brush head has a great size with an adequate amount of bristles. The bristles are incredibly soft and are feathered at the tip to slide below the gum line. Also, the bristles are much taller than other toothbrushes allowing them to stretch further around each tooth.

Cons

This toothbrush has many great qualities; however, a cheek and tongue cleaner would have topped it off.

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2. Best Budget | Colgate 360 Whole Mouth Clean

Best for patients seeking whole mouth clean and stain removal.

Pros

Colgate designed a comfortable, lightweight toothbrush with many strategically placed bristles.

There was no slipping, and the tongue cleaner was effective.

Also, the brush head is wide to wrap around all surfaces of the teeth effectively. The bristles are slightly feathered to slide below the gum tissue, and the tip of the brush head has extended bristles to clean behind the back teeth.

Cons

The bristles are comfortable; however, we would have appreciated more of them within the brush head. Also, the brush head size may be too large for individuals with small mouths.

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3. Best Bristles | Colgate 360 Advanced

Best for patients seeking maximum cleaning coverage and effective tongue cleaner.

Pros

The intricate bristle placement is something you can’t miss.

The bristle tufts are uniformly placed to remove bacteria on all four sides of the tooth.

Also, the cheek and tongue cleaner is the best we’ve seen.

In addition, the toothbrush is lightweight and comfortable to grip when brushing. Lastly, the brush head is broad in the middle portion to provide full coverage of cleanability.

Cons

Although the bristles are labeled soft, they are stiff and less pliable than competitors. Also, the brush head is larger and may be less suitable for individuals with smaller mouths.

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4. Best Travel | Oral-B Clic Manual

Best for patients desiring a stylish replaceable brush-head toothbrush.

Pros

This is anything but your everyday toothbrush. The premium metal materials are solid, durable, and sleek.

It feels more like a high-end fountain pen than a toothbrush.

The replaceable brush heads are innovative for a manual toothbrush and will reduce waste.

Also, the bristles are soft and uniformly placed in a crisscross pattern, effective at removing plaque and highly desirable. Oddly enough, the metal was comfortable if it bumped opposing teeth or adjacent gum tissue.

Lastly, the brush head was a perfect size and adequate for all individuals.

Cons

We would have desired a tongue cleaner and feathered bristles. Also, the grip was insufficient to prevent the toothbrush from slipping or rotating during use.

The Clic was also approximately four to six times more expensive than the other toothbrushes reviewed.

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5. Best Gum Care | Oral-B Pro-Flex Expert Clean

Best for patients that have multiple missing teeth to flex around open spaces.

Pros

This innovative toothbrush effectively cleans away plaque with its two-flex design.

The handle is comfortable to hold and lightweight. The tip of the brush head is taller than the other bristles to clean away plaque in the back of the mouth.

Cons

Although the toothbrush was effective, we would have preferred feathered bristles that slid below the gum line. Also, the bristles seemed more medium than soft.

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6. Best Sensitivity | Oral-B Bacteria Blast

Best for patients desiring color-changing bristles.

Pros

Oral-B developed a great overall toothbrush. It was comfortable to use and effective at cleaning the teeth.

The bristles were soft and uniformly placed for a superior clean.

In addition, the color-changing indicator bristles are an excellent reminder to replace the toothbrush every three months.

Cons

We would have desired a tongue-in-cheek cleaner. Also, the bristle density was inadequate, leading to over-flexing of the bristles.

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Overall Champion | GUM Deep Clean Toothbrush*

Final Thoughts

GUM Deep Clean Toothbrush blew us, or rather, brushed us all away.

This toothbrush stole the show with its highly desirable handle grip, super soft feather bristles, and lengthened bristles. It’s easy to sense the high-quality clean while using.

We also can’t get enough of the redesigned toothbrush handle. The weightedness of Oral-B Clic made it desirable and reminded us of a high-dollar fountain pen.

Also, the replaceable brush heads are great at cutting down excess waste. Colgate 360 Advanced placed third to round out the top 3. Each of the top 6 toothbrushes tested offered unique design features that were enjoyable to try.

Final Rankings

1. GUM Deep Clean Toothbrush 20/20
2. Oral-B Clic Manual Toothbrush 19/20
3. Colgate 360 Advanced Toothbrush 18/20
4. Colgate 360 Whole Mouth Clean Toothbrush 16/20
5. Oral-B Bacteria Blast Toothbrush 16/20
6. Oral-B Pro-Flex Expert Clean 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!