Electric toothbrushes

[Digby]

Better than manual, the same, worse? What do you use and is there any solid science on this?

 

[3125b]

Good question - in commercials they attribute all kinds of miracles to the things. No wonder, there are some for more than 200€, the margins are huge, it's one of the most profitable electronic devices.
Generally there are two types of electronic toothbrushes, rotary and sonic. Both reduce the amount of effort the user has to put in to achieve the same cleaning power when compared to a normal toothbrush.
With either kind though, a proper brushing technique is important to achieve good results. Using a manual brush will take a more time, but done properly will yield the same results.

 

[bluefuzz]

My former dentist said a few years ago that he wished 'manual' toothbrushes could be banned. Electric are far and away better. Most people just scratch their gums with a manual toothbrush without doing much good otherwise. The fluor in the toothpaste is probably the most important thing about brushing. But flossing with a good modern 'toothpick' is equally, if not more, important.

 

[Digby]

Not many opinions...surely you all brush your teeth, even Brits do it (contrary to popular belief).

 

[Marc v E]

An electrical toothbrush is way better than manual according to my own experience and my dentist. I use a Braun Oral-B costing 35 euros with toothbrushes that came out best of the test: oral-b crossaction. Buy them per 10 pieces from online retailers and the cost is considerably lower than in retail shops.

Btw I tried Braun oral b and Phillips SonicCare. Didn't like the latter because of the intense vibrations and the former always comes out best of test. The only difference between all the braun toothbrushes is the battery where lithium-ion is thinner and more costly. And features where the only one I care about is the 2 minute timer.

Btw2: I tried multiple replacement brushes on the Braun and came to the conclusion that their quality is way lower than the original oral-b's.

Btw3: tooth paste from Sensodyne and especially the Repair version is a lot better than other brands ime.

 

[MCH]

I have problems with my gums since i was a kid and i have settled with a philips sonicare (sonics type). There are cheap options (mine costed 30 eur in offer) and the heads are inexpensive and last very long.
When you first use it the first time it is really difficult to stand, to the point that the brushes come with a program to get used to it increasing the power little by little. But once you get used, i can only recommend it.
Mine is now sent to repair and i am missing it
btw, since they apparently sold the bulbs business, is this the last real philips product at home? I never understood this branding/licensing mess

 

[digitalfrost]

I've researched brushing techniques and tried a lot myself, in the end electrical brushes do a much better job for me even with suboptimal technique. You can easily test this by running the tonque along the teeth to feel how smooth they are or better yet by using disclosing tablets.

Personally I'm a big fan of the Sonicare toothbrushes with the C3 heads. I prefer then over the Oral-Bs but whatever works best for you.

 

[czt]

Best price/performance: Sonicare EasyClean with ProResults or Sensitive brush head.

 

[Suffolkhifinut]

I have problems with my gums since i was a kid and i have settled with a philips sonicare (sonics type). There are cheap options (mine costed 30 eur in offer) and the heads are inexpensive and last very long.
When you first use it the first time it is really difficult to stand, to the point that the brushes come with a program to get used to it increasing the power little by little. But once you get used, i can only recommend it.
Mine is now sent to repair and i am missing it
btw, since they apparently sold the bulbs business, is this the last real philips product at home? I never understood this branding/licensing mess

Bought an electric toothbrush in Amazon’s Black Friday sale, overall 3 star reviews Price down by 70%. Went into the reviews and most criticism was about poor Bluetooth connectivity, couldn’t get my head around thst one.
Regarding gum care my dentist said if my lower gums receded any more there was a chance my teeth would fall out. He said buy a soft toothbrush but not electric and brush my gums daily. It worked for me and the gums are now back to normal.

 

[MCH]

Bought an electric toothbrush in Amazon’s Black Friday sale, overall 3 star reviews Price down by 70%. Went into the reviews and most criticism was about poor Bluetooth connectivity, couldn’t get my head around thst one.
Regarding gum care my dentist said if my lower gums receded any more there was a chance my teeth would fall out. He said buy a soft toothbrush but not electric and brush my gums daily. It worked for me and the gums are now back to normal.

Actually that's my problem with my gums, and over the years different dentists had opposite opinions about electric brushes. I am not certain what is best, but sonicare works for me.
My wife's oral-b has bluetooth, i think it provides its app the info on what parts have you brushed and which need more attention. She used it the first day and never again

 

[Suffolkhifinut]

Actually that's my problem with my gums, and over the years different dentists had opposite opinions about electric brushes. I am not certain what is best, but sonicare works for me.
My wife's oral-b has bluetooth, i think it provides its app the info on what parts have you brushed and which need more attention. She used it the first day and never again

My electric toothbrush is an Oral B, the soft manual toothbrush really worked for me!

 

[kthulhutu]

My dentists always recommended electric toothbrushes. I also find water flossing to be more effective than using a pick.

 

[AdamG]

Electric toothbrushes are excellent for cleaning shoes and vinyl dashes in cars. Jim

They also excell at cleaning the small tight parts of Motorcycles and surprisingly work extremely well on cleaning handguns/long guns small parts and tight spaces. I save all my old brush heads for this application.

On topic I use Phillips Sonicare electric toothbrush and a Waterpic floss system. If you don’t use a Waterpic I recommend you at the very least investigate.

 

[JeffS7444]

Although dentist offices are often stocked with Oral B products, I think I've asked at least three dentists about their views on electric toothbrushes versus manual, and have never gotten more than noncommittal responses, and none have ever suggested that I buy a Waterpic system.

One little trick that I've picked up is to floss using toothpaste, which is not so dissimilar to what the hygienist does as part of a general clean and polish operation.

One dentist did provide me with Paro "Classic" toothbrushes - they look totally ordinary, no ergo rubberized handles, no gum-massaging nubs or wear-indicating bristles. Love the things! Bought a bunch, along with extra periodontal tips. Got medium-stiffness last time, but will probably go with soft next time.

 

[Doodski]

Bought an electric toothbrush in Amazon’s Black Friday sale, overall 3 star reviews Price down by 70%. Went into the reviews and most criticism was about poor Bluetooth connectivity, couldn’t get my head around thst one.
Regarding gum care my dentist said if my lower gums receded any more there was a chance my teeth would fall out. He said buy a soft toothbrush but not electric and brush my gums daily. It worked for me and the gums are now back to normal.

I was going to say something to this effect. My gums where receding and the enamel thinning and I stopped brushing like 3-4 times a day and use a soft brush and voila... no more issues. Too much brushing causes multiple issues.

 

[Timcognito]

Really

 

[yossarian]

Actually that's my problem with my gums, and over the years different dentists had opposite opinions about electric brushes. I am not certain what is best, but sonicare works for me.
My wife's oral-b has bluetooth, i think it provides its app the info on what parts have you brushed and which need more attention. She used it the first day and never again

For receding gums, my dentist recommended using the sonic toothbrush but was against using the non-sonic electric ones.

 

[iMickey503]

I floss my teeth in the shower with this:

Put it on jet mode and let it rip.

I did use the Braun Electric toothbrushes, but plan on getting a new one soon. Still undecided. Right now using this one:

Toothpaste is fluoride free whatever is on sale. Though, my favorite tasting one is pepsodent that has fluoride. And its usually only 88 cents a tube. The tube must cost more than the paste. Makes you wonder.

I'm open to suggestions for an electric one that you guys recommend. I found I like using the manual toothbrush more often, as it gets in the hard to reach spots.

I try to change mine out at least once a month because I really don't like it that this kind of build-up is on the toothbrush after a month. There is no way to rinse it off.

So they go to the cleaning bin. Great for curcuit boards and cleaning engine parts and bolts threads. If you have outdoor solar lights? an old supply of these are great with alcohol to clean up the boards after winter or doing custom mods to them.

.

 

[beefkabob]

Waterpik > flossing. There have been studies. Oral B had a study, but I've used Oral B, Waterpik's sonic, and Philips, and the last is the best. My dentist recommended regimen is to electric brush, waterpik, and use a pointy manual for places where normal brushes don't reach. My dental health would only get better if I did this all more often than once a day, did mouthwash more, and/or dropped starchy foods.

 

[Glen20]

It depends…. I could write for hours on this but I won’t.

If you have gum disease. Some (not all) studies conclude sonicare is significantly better. If you have arthritis in hands arms etc an electric will be better as you may be unable to do the brushing motion which removes the plaque.

25% of people give up on sonicare due to the vibration sensation.

But generally

Using a small soft brush with round ended bristles, it is possible to to do an equivalent job as an electric toothbrush with the proper:

1. technique and
2. time.
3. Toothpaste

1. Main advantage of electric is it is easier to clean the inside of the posterior mandibular teeth with an electric as the scrubbing motion is done by the oscillation of the oralB. And this can be difficult for some people die to the size of their tongue
2. People overestimate the time they spend brushing by 2x. Average time spent brushing in one study was 48 seconds. I cant properly brush mine manually in under 3minutes. An electric has a timer so you brush for longer than you otherwise would.( 2minutes) Brushing longer but with a poor technique( ie missing the same spots every time) will benefit you by having longer contact with toothpaste ingredients. But little for the parts you missed.
3. For dental caries, brushing with non fluoride toothpaste is equivalent to not brushing at all. All retail available mouthwashes are acidic. So holding fluoride paste in mouth is better than using a fluoride mouthwash. Antibacterial mouthwashes are also acidic.
Also
Floss first so toothpaste can get in between teeth As 2/3 of decay is in between teeth

2/5 surfaces of the tooth are not cleaned by the toothbrush

Brush or better use a tongue scraper ( or spoon) to clean your tongue

Very few people have dental problems if they completely remove all plaque ( brush and floss/or waterpic ) after EVERY TIME they eat!!
Use plaque disclosing tablets 1x week
Learn the correct technique for brushing and flossing
Go see your dentist and hygienist as regularly as they recommend.

Sorry. I will not give advice or answer questions as the answer will be “Depends” and “ Go see your dentist”