We’re continuing our guide on toothbrush buying for parents this week by reviewing the different kinds of electric toothbrushes available on the market today. Many users have noticed that both their teeth and gums get a much better cleaning when using an electric toothbrush versus manual toothbrushes.
Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter had this to say about electric toothbrushes:
“Health experts have been speaking about the benefits of electric toothbrushes for many years. This latest piece of evidence is one of the strongest and clearest yet – electric toothbrushes are better for our oral health.”
Essentially there are two different types of electric toothbrush: Oscillating-rotary and sonic. In this post we will be reviewing the features and functionality of each.
Oscillating-Rotary Electric Toothbrushes
Oscillating-rotary toothbrushes have two different kinds of bristles attached to the head. One set of bristles are arranged in rows and oscillate back and forth to help remove plaque. The rotary set of bristles rotates in a circular motion to further assist in tooth cleaning and polishing.
Oscillating-rotary toothbrushes are especially good at plaque removal and have been reported by some studies to remove 100% more plaque than traditional manual toothbrushes. Oscillating toothbrushes generally have a brushing action ranging from 2500 to 7500 rotations per minute as opposed to roughly 300 per minute when using a manual toothbrush.
Sonic Toothbrushes
Sonic toothbrushes function very similarly to oscillating-rotary toothbrushes. The major difference being that they oscillate/rotate much faster. Sonic toothbrushes have an estimated 30,000 brushes per minute, compared to a maximum of 7500 rotations per minute with a standard oscillating toothbrush. That means up to 115 times the plaque removal capability of a standard manual toothbrush.
Sonic toothbrushes also often come with a self timer to help ensure that each side of the mouth gets an equal amount of bristle attention and to help guard against over brushing. Additionally, sonic toothbrushes are able to cover more surface area because of the high vibration speed of the bristles that allows them to stir up the water and saliva in the surrounding area.
While sonic toothbrushes may have more cleaning power than a standard oscillating-rotary toothbrush, many users have reported that the vibrational sensations of a sonic toothbrush can feel uncomfortable. Imagine biting down on your phone while it vibrates and you might have an idea of what it’s like to accidentally bite down on your sonic toothbrush.
Ultimately, no matter which one you choose (oscillating-rotary or sonic), you are going to get a better brush and a cleaner mouth than if you used a traditional manual toothbrush. Even kids find using an electric toothbrush easier than a traditional manual toothbrush. If there is any scenario on earth where advancing technology is truly a benefit to mankind, it’s in electric toothbrushes.
If you have any questions about the right kind of toothbrush for you child, please feel free to contact us here!
