I have very sensitive gums. I was using ultra-soft bristle plastic toothbrushes before trying out this one, and I was interested specifically because the other reviewer described the bristles as soft. But they're anything but. They're comparable to a medium-bristle plastic toothbrush in the way they feel. And I gotta admit, going from an ultra-soft bristle brush to this one was not a particularly pleasant switch. These bristles are too stiff and they hurt my gums. They even sometimes make them bleed, which admittedly does happen occasionally from almost all oral care just because of how sensitive my gums are, but my old plastic brush didn't irritate my gums as badly as this bamboo one does. I'm going to try a different brand of bamboo brush, but if I can't find one with bristles that are soft enough for me, I'll have to go back to a plastic one just for my own dental health. I can't justify using a product that actively causes me discomfort the way this one does. I'm sure people with fewer dental problems than I do would love this brush, but if you have sensitive teeth or gums, don't bother with it. Get something softer.

We got these for our kids and they love them! They have all commented about how soft the bristles are and now prefer them over the plastic toothbrushes they usually use. I'm looking forward to seeing how well they compost when they need replacing.