Best Manual Toothbrush in 2024: Soft Bristles, Braces, and Whitening

This is a review of the best manual toothbrush for cavities and whitening. We reviewed dozens of the most popular brushes on the market and looked at factors like bristle material, price, special features, and ergonomics.

In this manual toothbrush review, we’ll cover:

• Best manual toothbrush in 2024 overall: Oral-B Pro Health
• Best soft toothbrushes for sensitive teeth and gums: TePe Supreme
• Best manual toothbrush for braces: Y-Kelin V-Shaped Orthodontic Toothbrush
• Best manual toothbrush for whitening: Colgate 360 Optic White Advanced Toothbrush

Keep reading to find the best manual toothbrush for your oral hygiene needs. Please note that in this article we focus on toothbrushes for children and adults 11+. We have a separate article about the best manual toothbrushes for children and babies.

Oral-B Pro Health: Best manual toothbrush overall

Product details

• Soft crossaction bristles
• Removes 99% of plaque
• Tongue and cheek cleaner

Why we like it

The Oral-B Pro Health features crossaction bristles, angled at 16 degrees and made with varying lengths for the ability to clean along the gum line and in between teeth for optimal plaque-cleaning power. The bristles are soft, recommended by the American Dental Association, and gentle on gums, and a tongue and cheek cleaner on the back of the head keeps breath fresh and doubles as a gum massager.

TePe Supreme Toothbrush: Best soft-bristled toothbrush for gums

Product details

• 2-level bristle design for better cleaning along the gumline
• Flexible head to reach all parts of your mouth
• Extra-soft bristles

Why we like it

The TePe Supreme Toothbrush features extra-soft bristles set at two different levels that enable you to clean more efficiently and reach further in between teeth. The duo length of the bristles also makes it easier to clean along the gum line for optimal oral hygiene and care.

Furthermore, the TePe Supreme features a tapered, flexible brush head, making it easier to reach all the way to your back teeth, even for people with smaller mouths. And the back of the toothbrush can be angled without any heating necessary so you can easily reach every nook and cranny of your mouth. It also has a comfortable ergonomic grip with a softer thumb pad.

Nest Manual Toothbrush: Best travel toothbrush

Product details

• Silicone body
• Charcoal-infused, sapphire-topped bristles
• Self-dispenses toothpaste
• Travel case

Why we like it

The Nest Manual Toothbrush features a sleek silicone design and charcoal-infused, sapphire-topped bristles. But its most interesting feature is the fact that it self-dispenses toothpaste.

It has an inner compartment that is airtight and sterile, where you can put your favorite toothpaste – enough to last for two weeks. Push a button, and the perfect amount of toothpaste, as recommended by the ADA, is dispensed onto the charcoal-infused bristles every time. It also comes with a travel case, so you’re good to go.

Y-Kelin V-Shaped Orthodontic Toothbrush: Best toothbrush for braces

Product details

• V-shaped bristles for scrubbing around brackets — won’t catch on metal
• Soft bristles don’t damage braces
• Small head fits all mouths

Why we like it

The Y-Kelin V-Shaped Orthodontic Toothbrush won’t get caught on your brackets when you brush — thanks to V-shaped bristles with a 45-degree beveled cut. This lets them fit around your brackets when brushing.

The soft bristles are gentle on gums, and the small head makes it suitable for teen and adult braces wearers alike. To supplement brushing with braces, you can try an interdental brush as well.

Colgate 360 Optic White Advanced Toothbrush: Best toothbrush for whitening

Product details

• Spiral polishing bristles to remove surface stains
• Polishing cubs
• Medium-soft bristles
• Ergonomic grip

Why we like it 

Toothbrushes can’t actually change the color of your teeth, but they can remove surface stains for a brighter smile, and that’s what the Colgate 360 Optic White is designed to do. The spiral polishing bristles efficiently remove stains, and the floss tip gets between teeth for gum care.

Why choose a manual toothbrush?

You can choose a manual toothbrush if that is what you like to use to have clean teeth. The most important thing to know is how and when to use your toothbrush. If you get that right, then finding the best toothbrush for you will be a question of personal preference as much as anything else.

If you don’t brush twice a day and clean between your teeth daily then even the best manual toothbrush or the most expensive electric toothbrush won’t be able to keep your teeth free from plaque buildup. This puts you at risk of developing cavities, gum disease, and other oral health problems.

With this in mind, there are a number of reasons why you might choose a manual toothbrush over an electric one. Here are some things you should consider when using a manual toothbrush:

• The amount of force used with a manual toothbrush is also very important, as the automatic movement of motorized toothbrushes can temper the force applied by the brusher. To avoid abrasion to both hard and soft tissue, a low force or medium pressure is recommended.
• Brushing for a minimum of 2 minutes is advised for effective and efficient plaque removal with manual toothbrushes.
• Brushing with manual toothbrushes requires placement of the tooth to contact all surfaces of the tooth, both front and back. It’s best to brush your teeth and gums in a circular motion.

Electric toothbrush vs manual brushing

You might think that the more money you spend on a toothbrush, the better it will clean your teeth. There are some studies, like this one from the International Journal of Dental Hygiene that suggest electric toothbrushes can remove more plaque from your teeth.

However, manual toothbrushes are still very effective if used well.

Some reasons you might prefer a manual vs electric toothbrush include the:

• Convenience when traveling
• You don’t like the feel of an electric toothbrush
• They’re easy to find
• They cost less than powered brushes

However, it’s true that many people get a more effective clean with an electric toothbrush because of the technology they use to aid brushing. If you’re considering an electric vs manual toothbrush, we recommend you read our guide to the best electric toothbrushes for adults (or this one for the best kids’ electric toothbrushes) to learn about the benefits and the best models available right now.

If you’re unsure about electric toothbrushes, we recommend you start with one that has some basic features, like a 2-minute and quad timer and sonic vibrations, as well as some convenient extras like 4-week battery life and ultra-soft Dupont bristles, like the Brüush. You can find out more about it in our Brüush review.

How often should you change your toothbrush?

You should change your toothbrush every three months, or sooner if the bristles start to fray before then (this might be a sign you’re brushing too hard), according to dentists. Toothbrushes get worn down quickly—they are being used twice a day, every day, after all! 

If you have trouble remembering to change your brush, you can get one with a built-in indicator like this Oral-B adult manual toothbrush. These come with a blue line that fades during use. Once it has faded halfway down the bristles, you know it’s time to put a new toothbrush on your shopping list.

You should also change your brush whenever you’ve been sick with a cold or sore throat. Germs can gather on your toothbrush so you should get rid of it when you’ve had any type of infection around your head.

With that, you might be thinking about how to clean your toothbrush. You don’t need to use any special cleaning products, but here are some simple steps for keeping your toothbrush in good condition:

• Rinse it thoroughly after every use
• Between uses stand it up, head up, not touching other brushes
• Keep it in the open
• Don’t put a case on it
• When using a travel toothbrush, allow it to dry before putting it in the case 

Can I use a cheap toothbrush?

You can use a cheap toothbrush. Some of the best toothbrushes in the US come with all kinds of bells and whistles nowadays. Even the best manual toothbrushes include advanced technology which can bump up the price. But manual toothbrushes in the US can still be cheap if you’re not worried about too many special features.

You can get cheap toothbrushes from well-known brands for around 20–50 cents if you buy them in bulk. For example, you can buy bundles of 24 Colgate toothbrushes on Amazon to make it more economical. This is a good way to ensure your whole family has a supply of new toothbrushes when they need them, without breaking the bank.

As we said earlier, it’s not all about the type of toothbrush that you use, but also how well you brush. Don’t worry if you can only afford cheap toothbrushes; follow our guide on how to brush your teeth and clean between your teeth every day with floss or interdental brushes, and you should still do a good job of removing plaque.

Summary of the best manual toothbrushes

Characteristics of a basic manual toothbrush

• It has a multilevel trimmed bristle that is angled rather than just 90 degrees to the brush head and appears to remove more plaque from the mouth, including at the gingival margins and interproximal or between the teeth areas. This type of manual toothbrush is represented by the Oral B ProHealth.
• Brushes with flat profiles have the lowest efficiency performance on teeth with braces.
• Brushes with lower bristles in the middle rather than planar bristle fields perform better on teeth with braces because they allow for more direct contact around the bracket, allowing for better plaque and food removal. The Y Kelin V-shaped toothbrushes are an example of this.
• Soft bristle toothbrushes allow for deeper penetration into the interproximal and inter bracket areas of the tooth. When a high load force is applied, the bristles twist and have less tooth contact, so they perform better with a lower applied force.

The best manual toothbrush innovations

Manual toothbrushes as we know them date back to the 1920s. That’s when manual toothbrushes started to be made using the nylon bristles that are so common nowadays. Shapes and sizes may have changed over the years, but the basic idea and materials have remained the same.

Recently, there has been more innovation going into manual toothbrushes. Here are some of the new ideas on the block that you might want to consider exploring.

A chewable toothbrush

Used in a similar way to chewing gum, a chewable toothbrush is used once, chewed around the mouth while releasing a form of toothpaste, and then discarded. Chewable toothbrushes have similar efficiency in plaque and food removal as other manual toothbrushes. They can be a good alternative for children and adolescents with developmental delays and physical limitations.

How do they compare to manual brushing? A study has shown that chewable toothbrushes aren’t as effective at removing plaque as a manual toothbrush using the ‘rolling method’—a way of brushing teeth that some people may find difficult. However, the study concluded that a chewable toothbrush will still help with plaque removal for people who are unable to effectively use a normal manual toothbrush due to mobility or sensory issues.

Fuzzy Brush makes chewable toothbrushes that can be used when you’re in a rush to get to work in the morning, or don’t have access to fresh water when camping. They are single-use, so not great for the environment. Unless you have problems brushing with a regular toothbrush, we recommend you just use these as a backup rather than for everyday brushing.

A silicone toothbrush

Rather than using the same nylon to make toothbrushes, there are some companies that are working with silicone to make new types of toothbrushes. They use food-grade silicone for the bristles and some brands have made it so you only have to change the head, rather than the whole brush, which could be helpful to the environment.

Bamboo toothbrushes

With environmental concerns becoming more of an issue, people are naturally looking at ways to reduce their waste. One thing that you can do is use a bamboo toothbrush like this one from Sustainable Tomorrow.

Bamboo can easily be recycled or composted, so once you cut out the nylon bristles you can put the handle in your compost bin.

For children’s manual toothbrushes, you keep the following things in mind before selecting one:

• Children’s brushes tend to have larger handles to help with grip and control during brushing.
• Focus on choosing a brush that is proportional to the size of the child’s mouth and hands.
• Children’s toothbrushes are also advised to have smaller toothbrush heads to allow for better brushing and placement in their smaller mouths.
• TePe Minis are a good example of an appropriate choice for a manual toothbrush.

Other manual toothbrush brands

Along with the specific toothbrushes we have mentioned, there are other popular toothbrush bands worth a look:

• TePe also makes interdental brushes that come in a range of special shapes and sizes to help clean dentures, braces, and implants 
• Tom’s of Maine toothbrushes come from the brand that’s well known for its natural hygiene products
• Reach make a range of basic toothbrushes, we recommend these Reach toothbrushes with an easy-grip handle

Conclusion

As long as you’re following all the guidelines about how to brush your teeth well, a manual toothbrush can clean your teeth just as well as an electric one. There are lots of options on the market so the best manual toothbrush for you will depend on your needs.

Unless you have other preferences, choose a soft-bristled brush with a head that’s small enough to fit into your mouth easily. Keep it clean and let it dry after use. And remember to change your toothbrush every three months, or as soon as you notice the bristles showing signs of wear.

FAQs

What is the best soft-bristle toothbrush?

The best soft toothbrush will have extra-soft and fine bristles that won’t further irritate your teeth. One such toothbrush receiving rave reviews is the Curaprox 5460 Ultrasoft toothbrush.

What is the best whitening toothbrush?

Oral-b is one of the best whitening toothbrushes. This brand makes a charcoal-infused toothbrush that gets good reviews. Another popular brand is Dental Expert, which makes very affordable soft charcoal toothbrushes. 

If you’re on the fence about manual vs electric, check out the Burst sonic toothbrush, which is an electric model with charcoal-infused bristles.

For more on this, check out our guide to the best toothbrushes for whitening teeth.

Are electric or manual toothbrushes better?

Neither electric nor manual is superior to the other. In the debate between manual toothbrushes vs electric, most dentists will tell you that brushing technique and brushing frequency are much more important than whether you choose manual or electric. So, in order to make sure you brush with regular frequency, you should choose the type of toothbrush that you most enjoy using.

Some people prefer electric, because of the fun gadgets and app compatibility, and because they feel that their teeth are cleaner with electric. Other people prefer manual because it’s low-maintenance and gets the job done. You can always ask your dentist what they recommend, because they might be able to tell, based on your oral health, which will be best for you.

What is the best manual toothbrush for gum recession?

The best manual toothbrush for gum recession is one with soft bristles, so as not to cause further irritation and receding. There are several well-reviewed brands. TePe makes a toothbrush that has two levels of soft bristles, which helps clean along the gumline more efficiently.

Dr. Colllins makes a Perio toothbrush made of tapered polyester bristles, to prevent sensitivity and clean better between teeth. Sensodyne is known for its line of toothbrushes and toothpaste for sensitive teeth and gums, so they’re sure to have a toothbrush for you.