Go Eco Friendly with bamboo toothbrushes

Written by Dr. Apurva Chavan

Medically reviewed by  Dr. Vidhi Bhanushali Kabade BDS, TCC

Last updated May 4, 2024

Written by Dr. Apurva Chavan

Medically reviewed by  Dr. Vidhi Bhanushali Kabade BDS, TCC

Last updated May 4, 2024

Bamboo toothbrushes are a great way to do your bit to tackle the plastic monster. Every year around 1 Billion plastic toothbrushes – that’s 50 million pounds of plastic – are thrown into the landfills every year. A lot of these end up in the oceans and pollute not just land but water as well. Reducing and eliminating plastic has become the need of the hour.

 A lot of variants are available in the market now. You can choose one according to your preferences.

Colgate Bamboo charcoal toothbrush

Finally, the giants like Colgate are sitting up and taking notice of the sustainable movement and have come out with a bamboo brush for the environmentally conscious millennials.

  • The brush comes with a soft, BPA-free bristle infused with activated charcoal.
  • The handle is 100% natural and coated in beeswax making it water-resistant.

The unique feature of this toothbrush is the slim-tapering bristles that ensure deeper cleaning action along your gum line. This is very important as most of the bacteria reside in the space between your teeth and gums.

Minimo Rusabl bamboo toothbrush

This is one of the most popular and easily available toothbrushes. The bristles are infused with activated charcoal. The head is small which allows easier navigation to the teeth that are behind.

The best part about this toothbrush is that the bristles are BPA-free and are anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-microbial.

The water-resistant handle is 100% biodegradable and made with  Moso bamboo.

Terrabrush

Terra brush is a very popular brand for eco-friendly toothbrushes are available on almost all e-commerce sites.

It is the one and only vegan, a cruelty-free brush which is extremely light in weight.

  • It consists of nylon bristles and is available in 4 funky colors. The bristles are soft and the head is slim making it a good choice for people with gum issues.
  • The handle is smooth and easy to handle and made of good quality bamboo.
  • The packaging and the handle both are 100% biodegradable.

 

Benefits of bamboo toothbrush

  • Bamboo toothbrushes are light weight and so it becomes easier to brush with the right technique.
  • These are also cheap as compared to the plastic ones 
  • Bamboo toothbrush are all natural and biodegradable.

Be careful with bamboo toothbrushes

Most of these brushes require you to pull out the plastic bristles and then compost the brush handle.  Bamboo toothbrush bristles are also all natural. These bristles are made up of boar hair or castor bean oil or even coconut coir which can be harsh on your teeth and wear out very fast. So remember to not brush very aggressively or apply too much pressure while brushing your teeth.

Bamboo toothbrushes may take a longer time to dry . Wet bamboo brushes may attract more bacteria and may also catch fungus. To avoid this make sure you choose the one that has a wax coating.

On the plus side, as more awareness gets created about bamboo brushes, more companies are willing to put in money towards researching and improving these brushes.

Roses are red, violets are blue, the future of the planet depends on you. So choose your brush carefully and do your bit, not just for your teeth but also for the environment.

Highlights

  • Some bamboo toothbrushes have their bristles all natural and some may have nylon bristles with only the handles that are bio-degradable.
  • Be careful with all natural bamboo toothbrushes as they can have damaging effects like teeth sensitivity if used aggressively.
  • Choose the one that has a wax coating . Wax coating makes the toothbrush water resistant and keeps bacteria and fungus away.
  • Unlike other toothbrushes bamboo toothbrushes should be changed every 2 months and not 3-4 months.
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Author Bio: Dr. Apurva Chavan is a dentist by the day and a voracious reader and writer by the night. She loves to fix smiles and tries to keep all her procedures as pain free as possible. Equipped with over 5 years of experience she loves to not just treat her patients but also educate them about dental hygiene and appropriate maintanence routines. After a long day of preserving smiles she loves to curl up with a good book or pen down some of life’s musings. She strongly belives that learning never stops and likes to keep her self updates with all the latest dental news and research.

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