You've heard the recommendations. You've seen the commercials. Maybe you've even had one of our hygienists tell you all about the benefits of upgrading to an electric toothbrush during your last dental cleaning--but you still haven't taken the leap. In a world full of gadgets and new technologies, it's easy to see why many of our patients are skeptical about electric toothbrushes. But if there's one gadget that really does live up to the hype, it's the electric toothbrush.
It's not just our team here at Ryan Senft, DDS singing its praises either. There's an ever-growing body of independent scientific research that shows the benefits of using an electric toothbrush over a manual one. Here are 3 reasons to upgrade to an electric toothbrush today:
Electric Toothbrushes Will Make You a Better Brusher
Most people think of the moving brush head as the biggest reason to make the switch from a manual brush, but electric toothbrushes are superior in other ways too. They have an array of features that enable better brushing habits. While the features will differ depending on the price point you're looking at, some of our favorites include:
- Built-In Timers. These let you know when your 2 minutes of brushing are up.
- Reminders to Brush Equally on All Sides. Some brushes offer a vibration to remind you to brush each quadrant of your mouth for 30 seconds.
- Pressure Sensors. You only need a light touch when brushing with an electric toothbrush; if you're using too much pressure, your brush will let you know when to ease up.
- Reminders when to change brush heads. Because no, you're not supposed to use the same toothbrush for a year!
You'll Have Cleaner Teeth with an Electric Toothbrush
Studies in Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dentistry, the Journal of the International Society of Preventive and Community Dentistry, and the Journal of Clinical Dentistry all show that patients using electric toothbrushes are able to remove more plaque than patients who use manual toothbrushes. Indeed, most of the research on electronic toothbrushes concerns plaque control and the findings are encouraging.
You really don't need all of these scientific studies to tell you how clean your teeth will be with an electric toothbrush, though. Just ask anyone you know who uses an electric toothbrush and you won't be able to get them to stop talking about it--with an electric toothbrush, you'll have that smooth just-had-a-dental-cleaning feeling every single day. Electric toothbrushes use rotation oscillation and/or vibration to loosen and then brush away plaque, something manual toothbrushes just can't match.
Target Different Oral Care Needs
You can pick up simple battery-powered electric toothbrushes with features no more complicated than an on and off switch. If your budget allows you to spend a little more, you'll have a wide array of features to choose from. Electric toothbrush settings can include:
- Whitening
- Sensitive teeth
- Gum health
- Deep cleaning
- Tongue cleaning
The most advanced electric toothbrushes on the market even connect with apps you install on your phone to help you better track your brushing habits. If you're a tech junkie or oral hygiene fanatic, this might just be the brush for you!
That said, the most important benefit of electric toothbrushes is the vibration and oscillation. Even if you don't want to spring for the brush with the most bells and whistles, you'll still see an improvement in oral health from even the most affordable electronic brushes.
Get Our Toothbrush Recommendations
Our staff is always happy to discuss which type of toothbrush is right for you. Feel free to ask us for recommendations during your next dental cleaning and check-up or contact us at 408-996-8595.