One question I hear all of the time is; what type of toothbrush should I buy or what is the best? There are three main types of toothbrushes you can buy. These options are Manual, Sonic, and Oscillating. They all have benefits and their negatives. There have been numerous studies to demonstrate which one is best. I have read a lot of these articles so that you do not have to. So which one is the best? The simple answer is, they all are! Read on and let me clarify.
Electric vs. Manual
Studies have been occurring on this particular issue for years. Some studies go back to the 1970s. For the most part, the results and conclusions are the same. These studies usually state that an electric brush is superior to a manual toothbrush. However, it turns out that if you brush for an average of 2 minutes twice a day, a manual brush can achieve satisfactory cleaning of the teeth and gum tissue. It depends on the user. A patient person who has good manual dexterity can do a great job with a manual brush. The results rival the electric brush. The problem is that most of us are not proficient or patient enough to achieve these results. Therefore having an electric brush tends to give better results.
Which Electric Toothbrushes Are Best?
Electric brushes come in different varieties. I recommend a brush that has an internal battery that will recharge. Usually, these types of brushes have basic useful features. The main idea is to brush for a minimum of two minutes. The brushes with an internal battery have a timer that will notify you when you have reached two minutes. They will also have a feature that will notify you when it is time to switch sides. A huge advantage of an electric brush is that it does much of the work for you. All you have to do is hold the brush adjacent to the teeth and it is working. You only have to guide the brush along the teeth.
There are two main options when you use an electric brush. They are oscillating and sonic. Each can give great results. Some studies state that there is no significant difference between the two, and others will state one or the other is mildly superior. The main takeaway is that an electric brush used correctly will yield good results. I own all of these toothbrushes, and I use them all regularly. It is a personal preference as to which brush is better. I tend to feel the oscillating brush leaves a better clean feeling while the sonic brush feels gentler. The main negative to electric brushes is their cost. Some can cost over $200 while a manual brush is only $2.
I’ve included a few links below with studies and suppliers’ websites.
Feel free to call my practice with any questions.
Dr. David Ross, Your dentist Your friend.
https://www.unmc.edu/news.cfm?match=715
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15190692/
https://www.usa.philips.com/c-m-pe/electric-toothbrushes#triggername=color_white