Is an Electric Toothbrush Better than a Manual Toothbrush?

We have to then ask ourselves why many dentists have reported an improvement in the condition of their patient’s teeth once they start using an electric toothbrush. The theory that either type of toothbrush is equally as good is probably a solid one but based on personal experience I find it a lot easier to brush for 2 minutes with an electric toothbrush and I find it easier to brush those teeth in hard to reach places.

With a reasonable electric toothbrush you have the added advantage that the toothbrush itself times the length of time you are brushing your teeth and switches off when your two minutes are up. I find this a brilliant invention that encourages me to continue cleaning my teeth when I might have perhaps otherwise given up.

For most who have tried it the electric toothbrush has proved to be an absolute god send to improved dental care and I certainly for one have required far less dental work on my teeth since I started using an electric toothbrush. The two minute rule applies every time with any shortcuts being blatantly obvious and all those hard to brush areas are easy with an electric toothbrush.

I would certainly recommend an electric toothbrush to anyone, the younger the better and if you’ve got arthritis, like me, then go out and buy an electric toothbrush today, you’ll never look back.

Where the effectiveness of electric toothbrushes begins to become clouded is when it comes down to price and type.

Take for example the Sonicare Elite 9500 electric toothbrush which is near the top end of the market at around $120. It’s a brilliant toothbrush I own one myself and can well vouch for it. It’s comfortable and easy to use and effective in removing plaque. It reminds you to change areas every 30 seconds which is great. The downside of the Sonicare electric toothbrush is the initial purchase price but even more so the cost of the replacement heads.  

The Braun Oral-B Professional Care 7000 is a cheaper electric toothbrush (priced in the region of $50) and the replacement heads are significantly cheaper. I find the Braun Oral-B to be equally as effective as the Sonicare with the only feature it lacks being the 30 second reminder to brush another area.

I was checking out the Oral-B Triumph 9400 the other day which carries a really expensive price tag of around $140. It has all the bells and whistles including an LCD display and will even advise users as to when their brush needs to be replaced. Whether the Triumph 9400 is better than its cheaper counter parts remains to be seen but it’s not one that will be added to my shopping list.

The Oral B 5000 is a good brush to check out it does the job and is well priced at around $30.

Author: Terry Ross