Is an Electric or Nonelectric Toothbrush Best?

Many people are interested in and asking about electric toothbrushes. I do recommend them, but ask that you keep this in mind: Given the same amount of time, the electric toothbrush will be more effective at removing plaque than a manual toothbrush. That doesn’t mean that a regular toothbrush cannot perform similarly and perform well. It can, but it will take more time and effort on your part. If you are particularly interested in removing stain, a sonic toothbrush is very useful (all you cigar and pipe smokers, buy a Sonic Care electric toothbrush right now!)

Children especially benefit from the use of an electric toothbrush. I heartily recommend that your children learn how to use the Oral-B Braun electric toothbrush. Their use of an electric toothbrush almost makes up for their lack of skill and motivation. It’s also easier to brush your child’s teeth using an electric toothbrush.

On the down side, since I believe you should replace the heads as often as you do a manual toothbrush, it will mean an increase in the cost of brushing your teeth. Replacing the heads every four to six weeks at a cost of ten to fifteen dollars each can become quite an investment for the family.

My greatest concern involving electric tooth brushes is the size of the toothbrush head. Spinning and vibrating these heads ultimately leads to bulk, and bulk will always lead to missed areas in the mouth. Remember, smaller is better when applied to any toothbrush, manual or electric.

The quality of the bristle (how polished it is at its end) is even more important when considering an electric toothbrush. Since the electric toothbrush will be spinning or vibrating those bristles faster than would be possible with a manual toothbrush, you better hope you are using the highest quality and softest bristle available.

What about me, you ask? What does Dr. B use at home? My current standard is the Oral B P-30 (that’s a manual toothbrush). It’s old fashioned and low tech. I like it for its size and for its low abrasion. I replace it every three weeks. I do use many other types of toothbrushes for testing purposes and I do occasionally use an electric toothbrush. My wife and children use the Oral B Braun electric toothbrush and it works very well for them (except I’m the one cleaning the splattered toothpaste on the mirror). I like the Sonic Care, but find that the head is too big to effectively clean all areas of the mouth. To palliate this flaw, one could use it in conjunction with a small manual toothbrush. Oh, and please don’t forget, I pay almost as much as you do, and sometimes more, for my toothbrush. At least, for me, it’s a tax deduction!