A Guide to Electric Toothbrushes

Dental professionals and organizations recommend brushing twice every day for the best results. This standard is admittedly difficult for many people to put into practice. For example, a 2014 survey performed by Delta Dental discovered that only 70 percent of the population actually brushed their teeth twice every day. In addition, the recommended length of time spent on brushing has been calculated at around two minutes. This amount of time was set by the American Dental Association for optimal wellness.

Benefits of Electric Toothbrushes

There are many reasons to use an electric toothbrush, and convenience tops the list. The ability to hold your hand in one place is an important benefit for people who are living with shoulder injuries, for example. The reduction in inflammation for shoulder or wrist injuries can prove to be a substantial benefit. This is even more relevant when the new habit is adopted over a long period of time. The reduction in labor can also help encourage you to brush more frequently. If you are dealing with any type of repetitive motion injury, this slight improvement to your quality of life can be experienced as pain relief.

The same principle applies to preventing repetitive motion injuries as well. For example, using an electric brush decreases the amount of wear and tear in your arms at the beginning and the end of the work day. This can really translate into immediate benefits for people who are working at jobs that require a lot of typing or other repetitive tasks with the hands.

Electric toothbrushes have also been tested to determine their efficacy at removing plaque from the teeth. This is a critical part of oral hygiene and wellness because it prevents bad breath, gum disease and other problems from developing. The electric toothbrush was tested in a clinical environment to determine how it performs compared to manual brushing. This type of analysis has a high rate of credibility because it is organized according to a peer-reviewed system. The top electric toothbrushes were rated on their ability to clean all areas of the mouth, which is an important beauty concern.

Key Features

The key features of the electric toothbrush can help you to decide which model is right for your situation. They offer a variety of modes that allow you to adjust the speed, for example. Pressure sensors are also useful for changing the depth of the brushing inside of your mouth. This is a useful feature for people who already have gingivitis, which is a gum disease that causes bleeding around the gums when exposed to pressure. Adjusting the pressure sensor can provide a more comfortable experience to people who live with gingivitis.

The style of the brush head will determine the quality of your brushing experience. Brush heads come in two major styles, but there are also hybrid shapes that combine the two. The first style is the classic oval shape, and it will feel familiar to people who are used to purchasing manual toothbrushes.

The shape of the brush head is just one of the major features of the electric toothbrush.

• Advanced models also offer an oscillating head for the models with a round shape. This allows you to benefit from the rotation of the bristles, which provide a more thorough cleansing than the manual toothbrush. This model can improve your oral health significantly. This is why many beauty buffs consider it to be a wise investment. The bristles help to prevent the buildup of plaque, and they can also reduce your risk for developing gingivitis.
• The Sonicare models have a brush head with thistles that form the classic oval shape found on manual toothbrushes. This electrical brush also uses movement to assist the process of cleaning between the teeth. However, this brush moves horizontally. This helps the user to clean in areas that are normally hard to reach. Because it simulates the brushing motions of a human, it also reduces fatigue while allowing you to get the benefits of brushing for two full minutes.

The automatic timer is another good feature if you are interested in making sure that you brush for the full two minutes. Following these recommended guidelines can save you money in the long-term. This is an important consideration if you are concerned with the relatively high cost of an electric toothbrush.

The handle can affect the brushing experience as well, so this is an important feature for anyone who expects to use the device for long periods of time. Ergonomic handles are useful for people who have repetitive motion strain the muscles that support the elbow or wrist. This includes carpal-tunnel syndrome, but there are other types of repetitive motion injuries as well. The pain of brushing back and forth for two full minutes can be alleviated with an electric toothbrush with an ergonomic handle. This combination can improve your oral health while eliminating one of the daily tasks that contribute to chronic inflammation.

The quadpacer is an addition to the timing feature, and this is found on the more expensive models. It divides your total brushing time into sections. This allows you to spend equal time on the different areas of your mouth. This is an important feature if you are fatigued in the morning and have difficulty concentrating on time. By using the quadpacer, you can be sure to cover your entire mouth without spending effort on watching the clock. For an electric toothbrush with a two-minute timer, the pause from the quadpacer will occur at 30-second intervals. This brush may also come with a visual guide that provides feedback on the quality of your brushing technique.

The batteries in the electric toothbrush will reflect the total cost of the unit. Long-lasting batteries are very important to some consumers, but these will only be available in models that display a relatively high price tag. The battery is an essential feature for people who plan to travel with the unit. You might need to select an expensive model with a battery that has the lifespan that you require. This is useful if you anticipate long stretches of time between charging stations. Hybrid brushes allow you to combine different features as you see fit. For example, if you want a brush head that can be changed at a moment’s notice, there are models that can accommodate your preference.

Budgeting For Electric Toothbrushes

The prices on electric toothbrushes have a wide range of variability, so it is important to decide what your budget range is well in advance. Once you go shopping, you might be surprised to discover that some models can get into the range of several hundreds of dollars. However, you should be aware that these toothbrushes are loaded with optional items that you may or may not be interested in living with on a daily basis. The most important items are usually located on a toothbrush that costs under $100, and many good brushes are priced somewhere between $15 and $50.

If you want to stay in the price range lower than $10, you will have to give up the idea of a timer. This is one of the features that are only available on the higher-priced models. The battery life will also be longer on the expensive models, so the cheap brushes might wear out sooner than expected. This process of balancing quality with price is a normal part of the process.