Pros and cons of electric toothbrushes

Conventional or electric?

An ordinary toothbrush is an extremely simple, almost primitive device for brushing teeth from food residues and plaque, as well as massaging the gums. So how do I choose a toothbrush? First of all, based on the stiffness of the bristles, which can be made of both natural and synthetic material. Soft brushes are designed for young children and adults with sensitive, easily injuring gums. The hard ones are designed to fight tartar, as well as to clean removable dentures (false teeth). Medium-hardness brushes are suitable for the average person without chronic diseases of the oral cavity.

The advantages of conventional toothbrushes are cheapness and a wide range (rigidity, size, shape, length, colour). The only, but serious disadvantage is the need to carry out numerous movements for two to three minutes for thorough cleaning, which is equally annoying and tedious both in the early morning after sleep and in the late evening before going to bed.

The desire to get rid of routine is pushing more and more people to switch to electric toothbrushes, in which the bristles vibrate, pulsate or rotate with the help of a micromotor. Naturally, due to the more complex design, electric brushes are more expensive than manual analogues, especially "smart" models with the ability to fine-tune the strength and frequency of vibration.

On average, electric brushes clean plaque more effectively, especially on hard-to-reach or simply inconveniently located teeth (wisdom teeth, the back of the lower incisors). For even greater cleaning efficiency, electric brushes are equipped with several replaceable nozzles of different shapes and for different tasks. It is unlikely that you will change them directly during the cleaning process, but it is convenient to choose the optimal one and continue using it only anyway. In addition, all family members can use one brush, only changing the nozzles each to their favorite.

In addition, electric toothbrushes reduce the cleaning time by almost half compared to conventional ones. And if a timer is built into the "smart" brush, then the duration of the procedure is also easy to control. And all this happens without applying physical effort: for most people it's just a routine, but for patients with limited mobility, fractures of the arms or muscle atrophy — a critical advantage. The disadvantages, in addition to the high cost, include the need for periodic recharging of the battery or a complete replacement of the battery.

Classification of electric toothbrushes

According to the principle of operation, electric toothbrushes are divided into mechanical, sonic and ultrasonic. Let's take a closer look at each of the types.

Mechanical brushes (reciprocating and reciprocating) have a cleaning head moving in different directions. The speed of movement and rotation can vary from 2K to 30K revolutions per minute. Such brushes are the simplest in design, so they are relatively inexpensive. They provide, although not super-deep, but relatively soft cleaning, therefore they are optimal for children and adults with reconstructed teeth and sensitive gums.

Sound brushes are models whose vibration can be clearly distinguished by ear. The principle of operation is as follows: a movable membrane generates sound waves, the vibrations of which are transmitted to the bristles. The prices are only slightly higher than those of mechanical models. Vibration knocks down a lush foam from the toothpaste, which gets even into hard-to-reach areas of the mouth. Also, according to the reviews of dentists, vibration improves blood flow in the gums, which is the prevention of chronic inflammation of the gums and subsequent tooth loss. But with careless, overly active and prolonged cleaning, sound brushes can damage the enamel.

Ultrasonic brushes, according to the principle of operation, resemble sound, but vibrate with a much larger amplitude — from 100 million to 200 million pulsations per minute, which is not perceived by ear at all. The frequency is so high that even the air itself vibrates at a distance of half a centimeter from the bristles, and heat can be felt while brushing your teeth. There is no need to put any effort at all — the brush will do everything by itself. Ultrasonic brushes are designed primarily to remove pigment plaque (yellowed or darkened teeth), stones and to combat pathogenic bacteria that have settled on them.

There are two disadvantages: the highest price in the class of electric brushes and an increased risk of loss of fillings, crowns, braces, enamel erasure and injury to inflamed gums. Simply put, ultrasonic brushes for daily use are suitable only for a healthy person (a couple of fillings do not count), whereas for the time of an aggravated oral cavity disease, it is better to temporarily switch to manual cleaning with an ordinary brush.

Also, electric brushes are divided by the type of power source into rechargeable and battery. The first ones are equipped with a rechargeable battery and charger, so they are more expensive. The latter are cheaper, since they are made for disposable batteries, which may not be included at all, which, in our opinion, is a dubious saving.

The world leaders in the production of electric toothbrushes are Braun Oral-B, Philips and Panasonic. It is this trinity, usually, that introduces all innovations first, while other brands play the role of catching up.

Conclusions

We strongly advise you to consult a dentist before buying which electric toothbrush is best suited specifically for you. After all, there is a small chance that due to the characteristics of your teeth (mobility, thin enamel) and gums (hypersensitivity, detachment), the electric brush will not only not help you to establish oral hygiene, but even aggravate it. You should be doubly careful when buying an electric brush for a child: it is allowed to use only from the age of three. Specialized baby brushes have reduced nozzles, soft bristles, gentle cleaning mode and a bright "toy" appearance, which will turn the morning and evening brushing of teeth by a child from an unpleasant activity into fun fun.