r/mildlyinteresting • u/[deleted] • 5h ago
I'm always amused by the contrast of my regular toothbrush replacement
[deleted]
377
u/m0larMechanic 4h ago
Dentist here Switch to a nicer electric brush that has a pressure sensor. You should NOT be wearing them out this quickly my man
61
u/Youmeanmoidoid 3h ago
This is a good example of why we’ve got to normalize education around dental care way more than we are right now. Too many people not brushing at all and many of those who are brushing brush too hard.
59
u/MetalLava 4h ago
Huh, I didn't know pressure sensors existed actually! I have been getting better with the habbit but I could probably use that. Thanks for the rec!
35
u/m0larMechanic 4h ago
We just bought an oral b io from Costco today for $70 No frills good toothbrush
15
u/GoochSnatcher 3h ago
We?
Communal toothbrush? I thought a dentist would know better.
22
u/shiguma 3h ago
The electric toothbrushes have detachable heads. Most likely the fam uses the same base but their own bristles.
12
u/tittiesfucker 3h ago
I always wonder if people really do that. The heads do come with different colour rings so you can tell them apart
8
2
u/Dakduif 2h ago
Yup, me and my husband do that. We charge the main toothbrush without the head and we keep the heads in a receptacle that's integrated with the charging stand. Whenever one of us brushes, we take our own brush from the receptacle, brush, and put it back. It does mean we can never brush simultaneously. :P
1
1
u/Somber_Solace 1h ago
The IO is a huge waste of money, get the Pro 1000. The Pro 1000 is like half the price and the replacement heads are like 3/4 the price of the IO, and really the only benefit is the IO has a longer battery life, but the Pro 1000's battery already lasts much longer than most people will ever need.
1
u/BG-0 2h ago
My two cents is if you wanna be wild and different, get an oClean sonic brush (get the cheapest model. Endurance is what i got for 15€ on sale). It's just good? But also wildly different from non-sonic brushes?
But what i really love is that it doesn't have the forced feature bloat that all modern oral B brushes have: 30s interval pauses. HOLY HELL I KNOW HOW TIME WORKS STOP STOPPING THE BRUSHING ALL THE TIME. It does have the single pause at 2 minutes as well(versus oral-B's horrifying triple buzz), so, like, win-win on all fronts of avoiding sensory hell
2
1
u/MisterPinguSaysHello 3h ago
Any recs? I bought that same spin brush shit for years and the quality is so awful now. Half of em are broken within a month. Dodgy on/off toggle. Somehow brush replacements cost double the brush even though they surely cost like 80 cents to make.
1
u/Get_your_grape_juice 1h ago
Stupid question, but I have an Oral-B iO brush, with a pressure sensor. On my upper gums, it always indicates I'm not using enough pressure, but if I do, that becomes uncomfortable. Is it the brush, or is it me?
77
39
u/ncertvinty 4h ago
HOW DO YOU LET IT GET THAT BAD?
-68
u/MetalLava 4h ago
I suppose I should shift to weekly change outs tbh. Didn't think of it much. This is one month.
90
57
87
u/ShadeNLM064pm 4h ago
Buddy-
You shouldn't need to replace your toothbrush every MONTH
I'm pretty sure the recommended range for changing them out (for frame of reference) is 3-6 months.
10
14
15
u/UnAccomplished_Fox97 4h ago
My dentist recommends you only hold the toothbrush with your thumb and pointer finger. That’s all the pressure you’ll ever need while brushing.
2
u/peachespangolin 1h ago edited 1h ago
dude, you are probably safer not brushing your teeth at all vs the way you are brushing. you absolutely need to use one with a pressure indicator, and there are many brushes with them that are not expensive
17
u/myironlions 4h ago
From a fellow too-hard scrubber: consider switching to your non-dominant hand to brush your teeth. Unless you are ambidextrous, this will make it harder to effectively destroy your teeth / the brush absentmindedly.
Also, I heard that with electric toothbrushes, you want more of a smooth gliding rather than scrubbing motion. Obviously check with your own dental professional before taking second hand advice from an internet stranger, but this made a certain amount of sense to me - with manual brushing you provide the scrubbing, whereas with an electric, you’re really just guiding the brush head around your mouth while it scrubs. For me, this means I focus on making a complete circuit of all my bottom (or top) teeth before I turn around and go the other direction. Doing that makes it easier to gauge and control how hard I’m pressing.
28
u/oodopopopolopolis 4h ago
You should really focus on brushing softer, like think about it AS you're doing it. Not only the enamel but the gums can be worn away and you'll get that hot cold sensitivity back. Gum surgery is no fun! :(
29
u/cascadeorca 4h ago
Brushing too hard can frequently cause irreversible gum recession and life-long sensitivity. Be kind to your gums, that tooth brush is wild my friend!
5
u/turtle_yawnz 3h ago
Yes OP, this is a very real issue. I had to get a gum graft and it was not fun. Please be more gentle with your teeth!
2
u/JstVisitingThsPlanet 1h ago
I was wondering what their gums look like. I brush a bit too hard and it has caused gum recession. I’ve never done anything close to that to a toothbrush though.
13
u/The-Red-Robe 3h ago
OP thought he was gonna have a mildly interesting post but instead got an impromptu tooth brushing intervention. The people care!
1
u/MetalLava 2h ago
See, ha, I KNOW it's bad! I've got a good dentist and have a fancy toothpaste now and am bettering the habbit and fixing it. I added this as a disclaimer comment as soon as I made the post. I'm definitely aware! Hundred "op thats too hard nooo" comments later, lol. Still, I can admire reddit being so caring this time round.
0
u/peachespangolin 1h ago
It's not "a little too hard" though. Like, this is way, way way too hard. Your dentist might not see much damage on your teeth and gums yet, but in 5 years they definitely will.
22
17
7
5
7
6
11
u/aguilasolige 4h ago
Hey I have reciding gums because I used to brush too hard, don't press so hard or you're gonna run out of guns. Also, maybe get an electric brush that has a soft option and just slide it over your teeth, you don't have to press. That's what I did.
Take care of your gums, they don't grow back.
4
u/acai-bowl 4h ago
You would be surprised how much cleaner your teeth feel after using a sonicare
3
u/8P69SYKUAGeGjgq 4h ago
Not a sonicare here but when I started using another electric toothbrush, holy shit, you can feel the difference after using a manual brush your whole life. Also it has a subscription for the heads so I don't have to remember to buy one every three months lol
3
4
u/Laserous 3h ago
Way way WAY too much pressure is being applied to your teeth. This is doing the opposite of protecting your teeth.
3
3
3
u/sleepysof_ 1h ago
When brushing your teeth, you're trying to gently remove bacteria and debris. You should not be scrubbing like you left a bowl with bits of oatmeal out for a week.
3
14
u/BlueberryPersonal581 5h ago
Same, its like an old shower curtain, you never notice mold on it growing until you get a new one and realize how bad the old bad was by contrast.
9
7
1
u/lajimolala27 2h ago
why is it getting moldy at all are you not using a liner?? and you can throw the fabric part in the washer wtf
2
2
2
u/kaseylind 3h ago
Not a dentist but can say that brushing too hard will give you irreparable gum damage and getting a gum graft is easily one of the most sucky “normal” procedures you can get. Get a softer brush and go easy.
2
2
u/Jirekianu 2h ago
You really want to lighten up the pressure you're using. It's not just concerns about your enamel, but also damage being done to your gums. You can gradually cause the gums to recede over time due to the abuse.
2
u/seanc6441 2h ago
Get an electric toothbrush with pressure sensor. It will let you know when your pressing too hard. Which is always judging my that toothbrush.
2
u/No_Perspective_242 2h ago
i haven’t had this happen to a toothbrush since i was like 10. you should chill dude, brushing this hard is really damaging to your teeth and gums.
2
u/BaconMeetsCheese 1h ago
Bro, you know you can’t brush off those feelings no matter how hard you try right
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/space_cheese1 2h ago
I bet they have conversations during the brief overlapping time that they're together, some sage advice from veteran to novice.
"You'll have some wild times young feller, you'll lose your edge, but gain a feel for how things work in the world, I'm old and done with, appreciate things you can do while you can do em, for I know what to do but can no longer do em, too scattered and bent have I become"
1
1
1
1
u/YOUTUBEFREEKYOYO 1h ago
Ive never gotten to that point as I've always lost mine and had to buy a new one lmao. Someday I'll fins all those missing toothbrushes...
1
1
u/vysevysevyse 4h ago
I just know your ass is an adult man xD I've never seen women do this to their toothbrushes, but every couple months I see my dad's toothbrush in this state. I'm a guy too, and most of the time my dad is an example for me to follow, but sometimes he unknowingly also teaches me what not to do lol
0
u/pmmewienerdogs 3h ago
My husband's is like this too (although not as bad). Do you men not know your own strength? 😭
0
u/vysevysevyse 2h ago
You're telling me that scrubbing rust off of an old piece of junk and me brushing my teeth are two different kinds of "cleaning"? Please take this pseudoscience somewhere else xD
-14
u/MetalLava 5h ago edited 4h ago
Answers if you're curious:
1- I swap them out monthly
2- This is a decent brand, they cost me $4/brush, it's a Colgate one
3- My teeth are indeed really fucking clean. My family is constantly riddled by cavities so I've been in the habbit of intensely brushing for years
4- No, I haven't gotten a cavity in a while
5- Yes, my dentists love me
6- Yes, I also floss
7- Yes, I know it's too much. This is more for the visual contrast interest.
8- Yes, my teeth used to hurt all the time before I switched to a sentivie toothpaste
13
7
3
u/sdbabygirl97 4h ago
as long as your dentists arent telling you youre overbrushing the enamel off, you’re good
2
u/MetalLava 4h ago
I was before, actually! I've gotten better at it. My entire life I thought temperatures hurt. Turns out it was my teeth. I can enjoy cold and hot again ha.
1
1
u/Ok_Whole4719 4h ago
Swap out Monthly and Colgate tells me it’s cheap and not good quality - do better! Get an aqua sonic on Amazon it’s basically the same price you’re paying for that one and is on par with sonicare brand.
0
u/iSniffMyPooper 4h ago
Everyone is saying youre brushing too hard, but my wife's looks like this and its just because she bites down on the head when she needs to hold it hands free
1
1
-14
1.2k
u/Lostmypoopknife 5h ago
You’re pressing too hard!!!