Electric Toothbrushes – Are They Better?

Posted by: Charlie Burrows

Brushing Revolution

It’s been quite a few years now that dentists and specialists have been promoting the benefits of using an electric toothbrush. There was a time where scepticism was the order of the day regarding electric toothbrushes and that people found it difficult to make the switch from traditional brushing and adopt the system of pre-programmed, electronic guided brushing.

As technology moved forward, there was a push by the dental associations and hygienists to encourage patients to start using electric toothbrushes because of their effectiveness when compared to traditional brushes. Indeed, it’s become integral to many brushing routines across the UK.

 

Traditional vs Electronic

The benefits of electronic brushing far outweigh standard plastic toothbrushes and from a perspective of effectiveness they really are the best option. Just some of the immediate benefits include:

  • Up to 100% plaque removal
  • Reduces tooth decay
  • Improves gum health
  • Multiple cleaning modes
  • Timer for correct brushing time
  • Pressure sensor for correct gum cleaning
  • More effective for cleaning between and behind teeth with more comprehensive cleaning and 100% brushing coverage
  • Multiple brushes are interchangeable

As well as the above benefits, we’ve also seen that people with carpal tunnel and arthritis have also found electric brushes easier to use.

Through natural use, patients have also reported using less toothpaste over time, with less wastage occurring, as well as not having to run a tap whilst brushing. 

The key benefits ultimately, of an electric toothbrush and the overriding advantage over a manual brush is the ability to perform a thorough clean, with various size heads and the variant rotation speeds that can remove plaque effectively and ensure a more balanced clean, thanks to the procedural quadrant timings of the brushing.

It’s also been shown that electric brushes help fight staining to some degree. Coffee and tea are the main culprits along with red wine, however, although it won’t stop staining fully, the natural effect from thorough brushing from an electric toothbrush should help clean and maintain a better looking mouth. Especially with the added removal of plaque between teeth and along the gum line.

 

Is manual brushing really that bad?

It’s not that manual toothbrushes are not effective and in any case, the important thing is to at least brush regularly twice a day. For many people though, standard brushes are all they’ve known since childhood. However, now that dentists are recommending using electric toothbrushes, it’s important to make the switch. The fact is that patients can continue to use standard brushes but they have to accept that no matter how thoroughly they brush, they will most likely need regular cleaning visits to the hygienist, every 6 months to clear the debris build-up which is likely to occur.

Gum care is one of the key areas for maintaining good dental health and manual brushing has always been ineffective at sensitive brushing. Sensitive gums for example can be helped with sensitive toothpaste but how you brush makes all the difference. Patients suffering with receding gums try to brush gently but in order to effectively brush and brush softly enough so as not to cause bleeding, electric toothbrushes are the best option.

 

Knowing when to switch

It’s always going to be better to switch sooner rather than later and the fact is, most dentists will recommend switching to the electric toothbrush even if there are no major issues with a patient’s teeth. It’s more effective, thorough and removes plaque 100% more than a regular toothbrush so if however, there are dental problems present, then an electric toothbrush will be advised every time. There’s really no choice to make if you want to keep your teeth clean and healthy.

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