Trying to swap to more sustainable products can get tricky. That’s why we are answering the question: are bamboo toothbrushes any good?
You can find bamboo toothbrushes everywhere now, advertised as an eco-friendly way to brush your teeth.
And if you want to reduce your carbon footprint and live a more sustainable life, you might consider swapping your plastic toothbrush for a bamboo one.
But of course, you don’t want to compromise the health of your teeth.
That’s why, in this article, I will look at the question: are bamboo toothbrushes any good?
Bamboo Vs Plastic Toothbrush
To answer this question, we have to compare the bamboo toothbrush with its plastic version.
On the face of it, the only difference between them is the material they are made of.
The bamboo ones have a handle made of bamboo wood, whereas the handle of the plastic brushes is made of a variety of plastics moulded together.
The bristles for both types are most commonly made of nylon, as this is the most effective material we currently have for toothbrush bristles.
So let’s look at these components in more detail to answer the question of are bamboo toothbrushes any good.
Handle
While the handles of both types tend to look the same, the plastic ones might have some extra functionalities, such as a layer of rubber for a non-slip grip.
However, this does not make much difference when it comes to performance. It might feel a bit different at first, but you will soon get used to the new handle.
One advantage that the bamboo brush has is that bamboo has antibacterial properties. This means it will build up bacteria slower on the head.
A bamboo toothbrush can look quite stylish and augment the look of your bathroom.
Head
Like with the handle, the toothbrush heads of both versions are also the same.
Although bamboo brushes are seen as more eco-friendly because they are made from a renewable source, the bristles tend to be made of nylon, just like with the plastic ones.
This means that there isn’t really a difference between the bristles of a plastic toothbrush and a bamboo toothbrush.
Both types will allow you to clean your teeth to keep them healthy.
So in terms of performance, the answer to the question “are bamboo toothbrushes any good?” is yes. They do the same job as plastic toothbrushes.
But what about their environmental impact? Toothbrushes made from bamboo are hailed as an eco-friendly alternative. Let’s see if they are.
Bamboo Toothbrushes Are Not As Eco-Friendly As You Might Think
On the face of it, a toothbrush made of wood, which is a sustainable source and will break down into nutrients that are good for the environment, sounds like a no-brainer.
But it’s not that simple.
First of all, only the handle is made from wood, the bristles are still made of plastic.
This is because at the moment the only non-plastic alternative is animal hair, normally boar hair.
And while boar hair works, it is not ideal, because it can harbour bacteria, which doesn’t make it very hygienic.
Boar bristles can also be a bit hard for some people’s gums, so are not ideal.
Nylon is a form of plastic that is made from petroleum, which is called Nylon 6. Using a fossil fuel that is finite, makes it unsustainable.
However, some brands selling bamboo toothbrushes use nylon that has been made from plant-derived plastic, so-called bioplastics.
These use castor or rapeseed oil, which is derived from the castor bean or rapeseed. As such, this nylon is more sustainable.
But it is still plastic and cannot be easily recycled. While nylon made from castor oil is biodegradable, it will still take a long time.
And although bamboo is a natural material that will compost and break down into useful nutrients, growing it in large numbers could have an environmental impact.
A study by UCL and Trinity College Dublin has looked at the sustainability of manual plastic, bamboo and electric toothbrushes.
And while the manual bamboo toothbrush did better than the plastic one, it was still not seen as the most eco-friendly.
One problem with bamboo is that it might be grown on land that has been cleared of other plants. This will decrease biodiversity, which is bad for the planet.
Using a bamboo toothbrush also doesn’t solve the problem of single use, because it is only used for three months (dentists recommend changing your toothbrush every three months) and then is thrown away.
The authors of the study concluded that the most environmentally friendly toothbrush would be a manual plastic toothbrush with a changeable head, which would be continuously recycled.
The handle would last a very long time and once it has reached the end of its life, it would also be recycled.
That way neither the toothbrush handles nor the heads would ever reach landfill. The production of plastic does not need much land or water, so would be more sustainable.
The only problem is that this highly eco-friendly toothbrush the researchers speak on does not exist.
It’s what they would like to see, but at the moment we don’t have the facilities to achieve this.
So until this hypothetical recyclable plastic toothbrush with changeable heads is available, swapping to a bamboo toothbrush is a good option.
If you want to know more about the sustainability of toothbrushes, read our article where we look into whether a manual or electric toothbrush is better for the planet.
Do Bamboo Toothbrushes Last Longer?
This is a question I have come across a lot during my research, so I decided to include it in my article about the question: are bamboo toothbrushes any good?
One problem with toothbrushes in terms of environmental impact is that we only use them for a few months and then throw them away and get a new one.
But the reason we do that is not because it won’t work any more, but because dentists recommend we change our toothbrush every three months.
So why do dentists want us to change our toothbrushes every three months? It’s about the bristles and the level of bacteria.
The bristles will only do a good job at cleaning your teeth when they are in good condition. Over time, they will start to split, fray or lose their tension.
All this will make them less effective. Studies have shown that it takes around three months for this to happen.
If you put a lot of pressure on your toothbrush when you brush, they might fray or split earlier and will need to be replaced earlier.
The second reason is the build up of bacteria. Researchers have shown that the longer the toothbrush is used, the more bacteria collect on the bristles and the head.
So by replacing your toothbrush every three months, you ensure that the build-up of bacteria won’t cause any problems for your teeth and gums.
While bamboo has antibacterial properties, which means it prevents bacteria from staying on it, you still have to replace it every three months, because the bristles are made from nylon.
The handle, whether made from bamboo or plastic, would probably last for a lifetime, but the bristles are the main issue, which are made of nylon.
Recommended Bamboo Toothbrushes
Now that we have established that bamboo toothbrushes work just as well as plastic ones, but are better for the environment, here are three brands that sell bamboo toothbrushes we recommend.
#1: Truthbrush
This women-owned UK company produces bamboo manual toothbrushes and other sustainable oral hygiene products.
Thruthbrush is a certified B-corporation, which means they meet the high social and environmental standards required by B Lab.
The bamboo they use is sourced sustainably in China, which means it does not cause deforestation or biodiversity loss.
The bristles are made from plant-derived nylon made from castor oil. This means no fossil fuels are used to make the bristles. And for the soft bristles they use a mix of 62% castor oil and 38% petroleum nylon.
While this means they use some nylon made from fossil fuels, it’s much less than in most plastic toothbrushes.
But the company is always on the lookout for more sustainable options, which is the best we can expect at the moment.
The manual bamboo toothbrush from Truthbrush is not only more eco-friendly, it keeps your teeth squeaky clean, as their customers confirm, and it looks beautiful.
#2: LiveCoCo
Another UK-based company that focuses on selling sustainable products.
What I love about LiveCoCo is that you can send their products back to them when you’re done with them, and they will recycle them.
So even though the bristles of their bamboo toothbrushes are made from nylon, if you send it back to them, they will recycle it.
This means you can be sure that nothing will go to landfill.
LiveCoCo customers love the toothbrushes, which work the same if not better than their plastic equivalents.
#3: Georganics
This is also a UK-based firm that has as its mission to make natural oral hygiene products inspired by nature.
They don’t make bamboo toothbrushes though. So why are they on our list, I hear you ask.
That’s because they use beechwood instead. It’s sustainably sourced in Switzerland from an FCS-certified supplier, which means it has less of a carbon footprint than bamboo, which comes from China.
Beech like bamboo and other types of wood has antibacterial properties.
The bristles of the Georganics beechwood toothbrushes are made from nylon derived from rapeseed soil, so they are plant-based.
These can be recycled, and you can send your toobrushheads back to Georganics for free, who will send them on to TerraCycle to get recycled.
The handle is compostable as it is made of wood. This means that nothing will go to landfill.
In terms of performance, the customers seem to love them in terms of performance but also their eco-friendliness.
Conclusion
So there you go, you now have the answer to the question: are bamboo toothbrushes any good?
They will clean your teeth just as well as a plastic one, but because it is made from wood, it’s more eco-friendly, as long as it’s made from sustainably sourced bamboo or beechwood.
While the bristles are still made of nylon, most manufactures will use plant-derived nylon, which is better for the planet than petroleum-derived nylon.
Some brands will recycle their products if you send them back to them, so nothing will go to landfill.
Now it’s up to you to decide if you want to make the swap!
