What’s that, you say? You never spend more than a dollar on a toothbrush? You might be saving money, but you also are missing out on some fascinating advances in toothbrush technology. For example, brushes based on the basic Weeble principle that stand up on your bathroom counter.

Okay, that sounds adorable, but there’s a basic hygiene reason why you might want a toothbrush that stands up or is hook-shaped so it can hang and dry out thoroughly. Our soft-bristled colleagues down the hall at ShopSmart checked out some new brushes and got recommendations from the American Dental Association. Allowing a brush to hang or sit up and dry thoroughly instead of lying on a shelf helps it stay clean and (relatively) bacteria-free.

Almost everyone wants soft bristles. Soft. Anything else may damage your gums.

Forget plastic: toothbrushes made with biodegradeable handles exist. Preserve brand makes handles from recycled yogurt cups, if that’s what you’re into, and you can send the brush back for recycling.

The Specialized Care Surround has brushes that come from different directions and, well, surround your teeth. It’s the purple brush in the photo below.

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