A toothbrush comprises a handgrip formed on one side with a substantially plane fingerrest and a concave thumbrest and on an adjacent side with a palmrest including a convex portion spaced apart from the thumbrest and a substantially linear portion adjacent to the thumbrest. A neck is connected to the handgrip, and a head is connected to the neck. The head is formed with a substantially plane wide oval-shaped bristle-supporting surface and includes soft flexible bristles extending outward from the bristle-supporting surface. The neck has an axis that is angularly displaced with respect to an extension of the linear palmrest portion through an acute neck angle, the angular displacement of the neck axis being clockwise for a right-hand brush or counterclockwise for a left-hand brush, as seen from the side of the toothbrush on which the fingerrest and the thumbrest are located. The bristle-supporting surface is angularly displaced with respect to the neck axis through an acute crank angle and with respect to the plane of the finger rest surface through an acute rotation angle. The angular displacement of the bristle-supporting surface is, in the case of the crank angle, counterclockwise for a right-hand brush or clockwise for a left-hand brush, as seen from the side of the toothbrush opposite the palmrest. In the case of the rotation angle, the displacement of the bristle-supporting surface is clockwise for a right-hand brush or counterclockwise for a left-hand brush, as seen from the head end of the toothbrush.

An ergonomically designed toothbrush includes a handle of rectangular cross-sectional configuration. The handle is twisted about its longitudinal axis so that it fits the palm of a person's hand providing a power grip yet will fit most toothbrush holders. The forward end of the handle tapers outwardly and has an elliptical cross-sectional configuration with its outer surface being textured for ease of manipulation and comfort. A small elliptical neck connects the brush head to the handle and is designed not to interfere with the lips or cheeks when brushing. The brush head includes multi-level tufts of two grades of stiffness arranged in offset rows and is designed to remove plaque from interproximal areas as well as tooth surfaces and to reach into the gingival margin to gently massage the gums.

The tooth brush having an anatomically compatible structure has a handle which is twisted in comparison to that of the conventional tooth brush so that a plane passing through the head of the tooth brush bearing the bristles and another plane passing through the handle cross each other at a certain angle. The handle is however preferably divided into two parts, a concavo-convex oblong section contiguous to the neck inclined with respect to the plane of the head and a rhombus-like cross sectioned end part which is also inclined with respect to the plane of the head, but in the opposite direction to that of the oblong section. The handle can be provided with a depression and shaped to fit the thumb and forefinger when gripped by the hand. Because of the structure of tooth brush, the bristles can be applied upright on the teeth, when the hand holds the handle in a more comfortable unstrained position than the conventional tooth brush.

A toothbrush has a brush head of bristles joined to a gripping portion which when grasped and used by a user in a natural, common and ordinary manner, results in the brush head being positioned automatically at a 45.degree. angle with the long axis of the teeth; the preferred tooth cleaning position of the Dr. Skillman and Dr. Bass toothbrushing method. The handle is a symmetrical four-sided column having a cross-section which can be circumscribed by a square with one diagonal parallel to the bristles of the brush head.

A hand held utensil having a head portion connected to a handle, wherein the handle includes structure for encouraging a user of the utensil to present the head portion to an article at a preferred angle.