Do electric toothbrushes clean your teeth better?

Electric toothbrushes vs. Manual toothbrushes… which is better?

Are electric toothbrushes worth the money?

Can you clean your teeth just as well with a manual toothbrush?

I’d like to start off this post by disclosing that I am an electric toothbrush user, and have been for the past 10 years. I’ll admit I am biased for electric toothbrushes, only because I have personally noticed that my teeth do feel cleaner when I use one. This has also been clear to me because since switching I’ve had much less tartar build up over time.

I’ll outline my reasons why I prefer an electric toothbrush over manual toothbrushes:

1. I’ll admit it. I’m lazy. We’ve all done it, it’s late, I’m tired, it’s been a long day and I just want to get to bed. So I do a pretty quick (and lousy) job of cleaning my teeth. Maybe 1 minute of brushing? With an electric toothbrush, I know whether I’ve ‘slacked’ off because my brushing time is recorded. So I usually put in more of an effort (even when I’m tired), to get to the 2 minute mark. (Or the 1 minute, 50 seconds if it’s been a bad day!) The timer really does work well for keeping you honest.
2. When I’m tired (or in a rush), I’ll often brush pretty poorly. I might start off well, but towards the end, I probably don’t brush as vigorously or as well. I’m sure you all know what I mean. With an electric toothbrush, this simply can’t happen! The brush is oscillating for me and maintains a much better brushing action than I could ever do.

When I use a manual brush, I notice my brushing suffers because:

1. I definitely don’t brush for as long or as well.
2. I notice I get more tartar build up, which simply means I left more plaque behind than I would have with my electric brush, allowing it to harden and mineralise onto my teeth.

Incidentally, I use a manual brush when travelling, and I also switched for a month when trialling the PearlBar charcoal toothbrush. You can read my review here. 

I hope I’ve sufficiently outlined whether manual or electric toothbrushes are better, but what about the cost factor?

Electric toothbrushes can vary in price from about $30 for an average baseline model to upwards of $250. There’s also the replacement toothbrush heads to consider, which need changing every 3 months.

For someone starting out, I don’t see why you would need to purchase a top of the range toothbrush. The baseline models are really quite fine, and most supermarkets will have sales (up to half price) at certain times, making them really very affordable. You can also get replacement brush heads on sale, and I usually try to stock up when I can. I don’t always change them at the 3 month mark, I prefer to rely on the indicator line on the bristles as to when I replace the brush head.

Some might baulk at this idea, but some couples I have heard of, share one electric toothbrush handle, and have their own separate toothbrush head (since this is the only part of the toothbrush that goes into your mouth). It’s a great way to save money!

So who do I usually recommend electric toothbrushes for?

1. People with dexterity issues. This might be due to arthritis, injury or other medical issues.
2. People whose brushing leaves much to be desired. If I see a patient with a lot of plaque build up, which looks several days old, this usually indicates to me they aren’t cleaning their teeth properly or for long enough. Most people will say they brush twice a day, but the quality of toothbrushing between people can vary wildly! If they think they are cleaning their teeth, but the amount of plaque looks like they aren’t, they could do with some extra help!
3. Teenagers. Let’s face it, most teenagers aren’t great with hygiene in general, and toothbrushing can be a big chore for them.
4. Patients that get external stains on their teeth regularly. Being a tea drinker, I’ve found I can control the amount of staining well with my electric toothbrush.
5. Patients that have a tendency to overbrush, leading to damage to their teeth. Electric toothbrushes are great for those heavy handed brushers, because you don’t have to exert any pressure when you brush. You simply put the brush on your teeth (more or less passively) and allow the brush to clean. Damage to the teeth from over-brushing can cause painful tooth sensitivity and can be costly to treat.

Got anymore questions about Electric toothbrushes vs. Manual brushes? Feel free to leave a comment and I’d be happy to answer it!