What to Consider when choosing an Electric Toothbrush
A good oral hygiene routine is very important for your overall Oral health. There are many options when it comes to choosing a toothbrush. If you are considering adding an electric toothbrush to your daily routine, here are a few things to consider.
Types of Brush Heads
Electric Toothbrushes are available with different technologies that have oscillating, rotating, and pulsating brush heads. There are also specialized brush heads available from a variety of brands that are available for your specific oral health needs. Each of these brush heads have different methods of cleanings your teeth and one may prefer the feel of one over the other. Different brands also offer what they believe is the ideal design of a brush head. Regardless of which brush you choose, brush heads should be replaced approximately every 3 months or when the bristles start to spread apart.
Toothbrush Power
One advantage of having an electric toothbrush over a manual brush is the number of movements per minute. The movements per minute with an electric toothbrush varies with each model. This is not the only determining factor when choosing a brush but is an important one to consider. A significant advantage of an electric toothbrush for those with limited manual dexterity as the toothbrush does the majority of the work for you.
Intensity Modes
Different brands will offer different modes of action depending on what you are using the toothbrush for. Typically, if there is only one mode of action it will be to clean your teeth as would be expected with a manual toothbrush. When multiple modes of action are offered then they will be gentler or of different frequencies depending on what you prefer to use it for. Examples of other modes, depending on the brand, are whitening, gum care, sensitive and deep clean.
Additional features
There are other added features offered that can be convenient. Some electric toothbrushes have an automatic two-minute timer with 30 second intervals. This ensures that you are brushing for the appropriate amount of time. Others have a pressure sensor which is helpful for those that may be brushing with excessive force.
An additional feature of majority of electric toothbrushes is that the size of the brush head is smaller than a manual brush, which allows access to hard to reach areas.
There are many different electric toothbrushes available. It is important to find one that you are comfortable with and works for your personal oral health needs. If you have any questions on the type of toothbrush you should use, please ask us at your next appointment.