# Toothbrushes: Soft, Medium, Hard

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothbrushes-soft-medium-hard/215931>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 29, 2003, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothbrushes-soft-medium-hard/215931 "2003-11-29T18:13:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![disponibilite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5daacb/32.png) [@disponibilite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/disponibilite)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothbrushes-soft-medium-hard/215931/21 "2003-12-01T00:54:29Z")

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Also make sure that you do actually brush your teeth for the full 2 minutes required. (30 seconds can seem like 2 minutes but it is not).

Also make sure you brush ALL your teeth. Count the strokes --at least 20 strokes per area. Surprising when you start actually counting the strokes you find out that you are in reality brushing 3 times in one area and 30 times in another area. —even though you are thinking you are being consistent.

Ain’t true.

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**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothbrushes-soft-medium-hard/215931/22 "2003-12-01T05:52:20Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by disponibilite \*  
> \*\*Soft brushes are the answer. Along with flossing twice a day. \*\*

You only need to floss once a day, but every day. My dental hygienist told me it takes 24 hours for tartar to build up.

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**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothbrushes-soft-medium-hard/215931/23 "2003-12-01T06:37:05Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Koth \*  
> \*\*Right, so still no answer to that question… \*\*

The ADA’s not good enough for you?

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**Author:** ![SnoopyFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SnoopyFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnoopyFan)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothbrushes-soft-medium-hard/215931/24 "2003-12-01T07:35:29Z")

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I prefer medium. MrSnoopy prefers hard and would brush with granite if he could.

I could get away with soft because I’m a profuse flosser.

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**Author:** ![boofy\_bloke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@boofy\_bloke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boofy_bloke)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothbrushes-soft-medium-hard/215931/25 "2003-12-02T01:08:05Z")

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I hate flossing and won’t do it.

I use a hard brush 2-3 times a day, brushing the gumline rather than aiming for the sides of the teet themselves because that’s where the Bad Things™ live.

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