Electric vs. Manual Toothbrushes

Ever wonder if owning an electric toothbrush is crucial to your dental health? It will certainly clean your teeth more effectively than a good ole’ fashioned manual toothbrush. At Welch Dental Group, we always highly recommend brushing your teeth twice daily with an electric toothbrush rather than a manual toothbrush.

We have researched how an electric toothbrush really compares to a manual toothbrush… find out what we learned…

MANUAL TOOTHBRUSHES

We want to start by telling you that it is possible to brush your teeth successfully with a manual toothbrush. It is better than using a finger, or not brushing at all!

We know it is exciting that the manual toothbrush comes in many different shapes and sizes and you can get characters on them, but we prefer an electric toothbrush over a manual toothbrush for your overall oral hygiene. There are some pros and cons to using a manual toothbrush. Here they are…

“PROS”

They are inexpensive at the grocery store and FREE when you visit us 🙂
There are a ton of styles to choose from!
They’re easy travelers.
One less thing to plug in.

“CONS”

More work- hence the word “manual”
There’s no timer so you don’t technically know when to stop or when you are brushing too hard 🙁
Will not clean your teeth as efficiently and get in between the teeth as well:(

ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSHES

Let’s start by educating on the technology…

OSCILLATING

These toothbrushes come with smaller, round toothbrush heads that turn (oscillate) quickly in one direction and then in another direction to clean your teeth.

Some research will tell you that electric toothbrushes with rotating-oscillating bristles can be more effective at removing plaque and preventing periodontal (gum) disease than manual toothbrushes.

SONIC

These use sonic technology which makes the brush vibrate at 30,000-40,000 strokes per minutes. The brush heads are shaped like regular toothbrush heads and vibrate side to side to clean your teeth. Sonicare is the major player in producing this type of technology.

Many brush manufacturers claim that sonic vibrations push toothpaste, water, and saliva into areas where bristles don’t touch, resulting in a better cleaning, and some scientific evidence does suggest that these brushes will indeed clean areas that others cannot.

Now…let’s get into the pros and cons…

“PROS”

They’re easy to use and great for people with wrist conditions, such as arthritis, that reduce movement in their hands and arms.
More fun for children because they can come in light up options, make noise and tickle.
A lot of them have timers, which helps you brush for the recommended two-minutes.
They clean your teeth just like your dentist cleans your teeth!

ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH “CONS”