If you follow your dentist’s recommendations, you probably reach for your toothpaste at least twice a day, making it a must-have household item. But how do you go about purchasing your toothpaste from among the dozens of varieties offered by the 11 different brands that share 99% of the U.S. toothpaste market? Do you check the ingredients and/or focus on claimed benefits, whether fluoride, whitening, tartar control, breath freshening, sensitivity, or some combination thereof? Or do you choose based on price, or perhaps just opt for a brand and type that you’ve been using for years?

Your toothbrush is undoubtedly one of the most important tools used for maintaining your oral health. And while the humble toothbrush style most people use has undergone relatively little change since being invented about 220 years ago, there have been some upgrades to the design that make for more effective brushing.