A Small Gift from Japan
A Special Gift from a Trip to Japan
Our clinic manager brought me a special gift after a family trip to Japan: a toothbrush. They had noticed my growing interest in toothbrushes and gum health and chosen it with that in mind. I was touched by the thoughtfulness.
When I was younger, I did not pay much attention to toothbrushes or toothpaste. As an orthodontist, I devoted myself to moving teeth and getting the bite right, but for the toothbrush and toothpaste I used every day, I usually went with whatever my wife bought, without any particular criteria. Looking back, I do not think I took a deep interest in this subject even in my preventive dentistry classes at university.
As I grew older, however, I began to notice changes in my own gums. They gradually receded, and I also received crowns on two teeth. Since then, I have noticed food getting caught between my teeth more often, which led me to look more closely at how I brush and the toothbrush I use.
These days, my interest in toothbrushes is growing both as a doctor who treats patients’ teeth and as someone caring for his own teeth and gums. I was curious about how the EBISU Premium Care 62 I had received as a gift would compare with my usual toothbrush, so I tried it myself.
My Usual Toothbrush and the Habit of Brushing One Tooth at a Time
The toothbrush I mainly use these days is the POSH N600 S-SLIM. When choosing a toothbrush, I look first at the size of the head, the softness of the bristles and how the handle feels in my hand, rather than the brand.
I prefer a small toothbrush head. It is easier to focus on one or two teeth at a time and to reach behind the back teeth. I choose bristles that feel gentle along the gumline. The handle also needs to feel comfortable and remain easy to grip when wet, so that I can control the direction and pressure accurately.
How you brush, though, is just as important as which toothbrush you use. We may brush the visible tooth surfaces diligently while missing the spaces between teeth and the boundary between the teeth and gums. For gum health, it is important to remove the plaque that builds up in these areas carefully. Using fluoride toothpaste is also important for preventing cavities.
Brushing thoroughly at least twice a day, especially before bed, is a useful foundation, but the number of times you brush does not by itself mean that you have cleaned well enough. I aim for about three minutes and try to focus on not missing any areas during that time.
For me, brushing is rather like a meticulous dusting job. What I am actually removing is plaque, a bacterial film attached to the teeth, rather than dust, but the idea of checking every corner is similar. Excluding wisdom teeth, most people have 28 teeth in the upper and lower jaws. The task is to work through them in a consistent order, cleaning the outer, inner and chewing surfaces.
Sometimes I mentally call out the tooth numbers as I brush each one. It is my own way of checking what I have cleaned and what I might have missed before moving on to the next tooth. When you first try brushing this carefully, it can take more than ten minutes. That does not mean you need to brush for ten minutes every time. It simply means that checking the areas you usually pass over without thinking can take longer than you expect.
Rather than scrubbing for a long time or pressing hard, what matters is getting the bristles to touch the areas that need cleaning gently and accurately. Floss or an interdental brush should supplement the toothbrush in the spaces between teeth that it cannot clean adequately on its own.
What I Noticed When I Tried the Japanese Toothbrush
The EBISU Premium Care 62 I received had bristles of a similar length to those on my usual toothbrush, but the area holding them was a little wider and rounder. It looked slightly larger overall, and I liked its appearance. I wondered how the bristles would reach between the teeth and along the gumline, and whether it would be easy to clean behind the back teeth.
The first thing that surprised me was the grip. The moment I picked it up, it felt as though it fitted snugly into my hand. That stable hold also made it easy to control the toothbrush’s direction and movements precisely.
I rotate the toothbrush in place as I clean one tooth at a time. It is a method I worked out for myself, and I find it comfortable and helpful for cleaning thoroughly. Compared with the rectangular arrangement of bristles on my usual toothbrush, this brush’s wider, rounder shape made that rotating motion much easier. The bristles felt gentle while still having some spring, and I was impressed by the balance between softness and firmness.
When I actually brushed, the bristles made gentle contact between the teeth and along the gumline, and it was easy to reach behind the back teeth. Looking at the tooth surfaces afterward, I could also see that the plaque had been removed cleanly. Although I normally prefer a small head, I found this slightly wider, rounder toothbrush comfortable to use.
One thing I missed was an individual cover for the bristles. I thought it would have been even better if a cover for carrying the toothbrush had been included.
A Toothbrush I Would Use Again and Give as a Gift
I liked this toothbrush enough to want to suggest that a friend try it too. I particularly appreciated its stable grip and how easy it was to clean hard-to-reach areas.
I still have my usual criteria, but the experience reminded me that it is worth holding and trying a toothbrush rather than judging it by size alone. I now also consider how comfortably it moves in my hand and inside my mouth. Of course, a toothbrush that feels comfortable to me will not necessarily feel equally comfortable to someone else.
On a future trip to Japan, I would like to look for the same toothbrush or others with a similar shape. Besides buying one for myself, I thought a toothbrush could make a nice small gift for people around me.
The toothbrush our clinic manager chose became an opportunity to take another look at something I do every day: brushing my teeth. I hope to keep trying toothbrushes and dental care products that catch my eye, one at a time, and to share those experiences.