Toothbrush

A toothbrush for improved execution of the modified Bass method of cleaning teeth by penetrating crevices such as the joinder between the gum and tooth, moving horizontally and then rotating away from the gum to dislodge matter, comprising:

• a handle having a bristle mounting and disposed at a negative angle relative to the principal axis of the handle;
• and
• a substantially rectangular array of bristle tufts mounted on the angled end of the handle, wherein the bristles terminate in a substantially common plane to define a brushing surface, the bristle tufts comprising four columns forming eight rows, the columns being substantially equally spaced at the base and the rows being substantially equally spaced at the base, and a forward edge grouping comprising a row of three bristle tufts, the tufts having approximately 46 bristles of 0.007" diameter each, and the bristles being approximately 7/16" long, the two outer columns of tufts being angled inwardly at 7.degree. from the vertical and the two center columns of tufts being angled inwardly at 6.degree. from the vertical.

A toothbrush comprising:

• a handle having a bristle mounting end;
• and
• an array of columns and rows of bristle tufts mounted on the bristle mounting end of the handle, the bristles being from 5/16"-9/16" in height and from 0.003"-0.012" in diameter, with from 20-150 bristle ends per tuft, wherein the outer and inner columns are angled inwardly at from 2.degree.-16.degree. from the vertical to provide greater firmness against the teeth when the handle is rotated than when the handle is reciprocated along the teeth, and wherein the bristle tufts converge along the longitudinal center line of the brush to terminate in a substantially common plane and provide greater density and firmness adjacent the center line, while the lateral borders are less dense.