Electric Toothbrush Or Standard – Which To Use?

Which is the best type of toothbrush for your teeth?

If you have already switched to an electric toothbrush, you may be wondering why so many people stick with the traditional type.

Using an electric toothbrush feels much easier and the high speed rotation of the bristles can leave your teeth feeling much cleaner. The question of which type is best to use often arises in conversation with our Bedford dental patients.

At The Dental Centre Bedford, we believe that it is a personal choice which type of brush patients use but there are advantages of using an electric one, as we will see below.

Standard toothbrush

The standard type of toothbrush has been around for centuries. The type of bristles used and the general design has changed over the years, but the fundamental principles remain, with the user manually brushing their teeth to remove staining, food debris and bacteria. Provided that you are diligent, this is a perfectly acceptable way to clean your teeth. Too many people though, do not brush their teeth correctly, and, rather that using the recommended gentle circular motion, instead, apply far too much pressure when brushing, often damaging the protective enamel of the teeth. Others of course, don’t apply enough pressure and don’t brush for long enough!

Electric toothbrush

Once something of a luxury, electric toothbrushes have come down in price and are now widely used. Although less physical effort is required when brushing, the rotating bristles do the work that was previously done through our own actions. Like a regular toothbrush, how it is used is important. If you simply brush the tooth surface but ignore the gums, bacteria will collect in those areas and gum disease, with its associated problems of bleeding gums and bad breath, may follow.

Where the electric toothbrush does have an advantage over manual ones is that many now include a pressure sensor. If the person presses too hard, potentially damaging the enamel, the toothbrush will automatically cut out. This is a simple but excellent innovation that could save many teeth from decay and sensitivity.

Other types of toothbrush

One type of toothbrush that seems to be attracting attention is the ionic toothbrush. This uses batteries which is said to release an ionic charge that both deters plaque from settling on the surface of the teeth as well as neutralising acids.

As with many new products, claims and counterclaims are made, with some people loving them and some thinking them useless. Research has also shown them to be useful and not so useful! Our advice would be to stick to one of the other brushing methods until science has determined whether these do really work or not. The reality is that if they don’t work and your teeth become damaged because of that, you are likely to regret it later.

The hygienist at The Dental Centre Bedford is a great place to discuss the pros and cons of various cleaning methods. They can also offer general oral health advice to help you to keep your teeth and gums in good health. To arrange an appointment, please call us on 01234 819868.