The Colgate 360? Total Advanced Soft Floss-Tip Bristles manual toothbrush is designed with tapered bristles that are 17 times thinner than ordinary end-rounded bristles. The purple-ended tapered bristles gently reach deep between teeth and along the gumline for a 4X deeper reach compared to an ordinary flat trim toothbrush. The toothbrush s unique cheek & tongue cleaner helps the brush remove odor-causing bacteria better than brushing teeth alone with an ordinary flat-trim toothbrush. The raised tip helps to gently clean hard-to-reach areas of the mouth. This toothbrush does not replace flossing.