Top 6 Soft Toothbrushes for Braces
Finding the best toothbrush for braces can be difficult, but doing a little bit of research could save you from a lot of pain and orthodontic repairs.
Braces make it harder to properly clean your teeth, and leaving a few spots behind can quickly turn into a big, painful, and expensive problem.
Most toothbrushes are simply not designed for braces. They fail to reach in between those tight spaces, and the task of cleaning in between each piece is tedious and frustrating.
We tested out 6 different brands to find the best toothbrush for braces, and our dentist, Dr. Gans, found one clear winner.
We focused on cleaning power, softness, effectiveness on braces, price, and durability.
So let’s start off with our #1 best toothbrush for braces:
#1 Swissklip Nano Toothbrush
The Swissklip Nano Toothbrush is a top-rated toothbrush designed specifically for sensitive teeth, sore gums, and braces. With 12,000 ultra-soft micro-bristles, it easily scrubs away plaque without damaging your expensive braces.
Dr. Gans, our expert dentist, says that the Swissklip Nano Toothbrush is “like brushing and flossing at the same time,” because the tiny bristles slide in between teeth, braces, and cavities with ease.
As an added bonus, this toothbrush is so gentle that it won’t scrub away the white enamel on your teeth or damage your gums. That’s important, because receding gums and worn out enamel make your smile look older.
It impressed Dr. Gans, and our team loved it, too! Plus, it comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out and see what you think.
Pros
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Top rated toothbrushes for braces and sensitive teeth.
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12,000 ultra-soft micro-bristles for effective, gentle cleaning.
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Ergonomic curves that help thoroughly scrub each tooth.
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Recommended by Dentists
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”Brushing and flossing at the same time.”
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Soft-Scrub Technology
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Easy to use with a soft handle and adaptive bristle design that meets the contour of your teeth with every scrub.
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Express shipping from right in the USA.
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14-day money back guarantee
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Friendly customer service
Cons
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Limited inventory available
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Only available online
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Lowest price only available with an order of 6 brushes.
#2 OralB io
OralB io
Overall Rating (9.1)
The OralB io series of brushes are popular – we tested the latest version – but at $249.94, we were a bit disappointed. It does scrub quite well, but for people with braces, the automatic scrubbing can be a bit of a problem, because the brush is so large that people have a hard time fitting it in their mouths, especially with braces.
Instead of using an app to track our scrubs, we’d rather just get a toothbrush that won’t damage our enamel and save $200.
Pros
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Works with an app to track your brushing.
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Heavy-duty scrubbing may be good for some people.
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Limits pressure for sensitive teeth.
Cons
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Too big to fit in some patients’ mouths.
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Limited lifespan. Some units break after a year.
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Poor reviews complaining about breaking, poor value, and a high price tag.
#3 Quip Toothbrush
Quip Toothbrush
Overall Rating (8.5)
Quip was one of the first companies to come out and make toothbrushes interesting again, and their design is unmistakably cool – but when it comes to value, this brand falls short. The replacement heads and handle require you to spend about $40 upfront, plus $56 each year afterward… and the brush didn’t work well for people with braces, because it couldn’t quite reach in between those small spaces.
Pros
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Nice design
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Convenient subscription
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Cool color options
Cons
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Not Ideal for braces
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Deceptively expensive: the subscription adds up to $56 a year.
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Cheap plastic materials
#4 Philips Sonicare
Philips Sonicare
Overall Rating (7.2)
The Philips Sonicare was recently updated with a fresh look, but that wasn’t enough to earn the top spot. In fact, in spite of the $50 price tag, this electric toothbrush didn’t even come with a USB adaptor for charging. Many customers reported that their device broke after about a year. And while the look of the brush has been updated, some customers noticed that it was less powerful and less effective than the older version.
Between the weaker brush and the lack of a USB adaptor, it seems that Sonicare has been cutting a few too many corners.
Pros
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Reliable brand
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Rechargable
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More affordable than some other electric brushes.
Cons
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Poor lifespan
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The newer version is not as powerful
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Doesn’t scrub in between braces well.
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Replacement brush heads cost over $50 a year.
#5 Burst Toothbrush
Burst Pro Toothbrush
Overall Rating (6.9)
The Burst Toothbrush feels like a weird scam targeting millennials with goofy “influencer” photos of women taking pictures in their bath towels while holding their toothbrush.
Strange antics aside, the toothbrush does work, although it’s not ideal for people with braces, and the $80 price tag seems unjustified. (Do we really need an LED emoji on our toothbrush?)
Also note that while charcoal is popular for teeth whitening these days, dentists tend to agree that charcoal toothbrushes don’t really whiten your teeth in any meaningful way, so that part of it seems to be kind of a scam/gimmick.
With a total cost of about $110 in the first year, we don’t recommend it for people with braces or anyone who’s looking for a good value.
Pros
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The LED emoji is kind of cute
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Long-lasting charge
Cons
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Expensive to buy and maintain
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Difficult to use with braces
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Charcoal bristles do not really whiten teeth, according to dentists
#6 Nimbus Toothbrush
Nimbus Extra Soft Toothbrushes
Overall Rating (5.9)
The Nimbus toothbrush uses obviously fake/photoshopped images for their “before and after” on Amazon. We were surprised to see it hasn’t been taken down.
Nonetheless, the toothbrush does “work,” although the soft bristles are easily damaged. Many people also complained about the shape of the brush, which makes it hard to reach all the corners of your mouth, especially with braces.
Pros
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Low cost, soft brushes
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Simple design
Cons
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Cheap materials.
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Difficult for people with braces or small mouths.
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Weird shape is hard to use for some people.
