Your dental hygienist as well as your dentist have probably already recommended several times that you use an electric toothbrush. It’s true these toothbrushes cost more to buy, but the benefits are well worth the expense. In fact, the consensus among dentists is that electric toothbrushes are more effective at removing plaque and keeping your teeth and gums as healthy as possible.
Here are 6 benefits of using an electric toothbrush versus a traditional/manual one:
#1 – An Electric Toothbrush Keeps Not Only Your Teeth Healthier But Also Your Gums and Tongue
Manual toothbrushes simply can’t reach all of the plaque and tartar that builds up between your teeth. The bristles are straight and don’t reach into all the crevices between teeth where food hides. An electric toothbrush has a rotating or vibrating brush head that reaches into those areas while applying equal pressure from the brush. There is even an alert to tell you if you are putting too much pressure on the brush because too much pressure can damage gums and cause irritation.
It may seem odd to brush your tongue but it’s important, too. Doing so removes layers of bacteria that causes bad breath and affects the taste of food. Scraping or brushing your tongue with an electric toothbrush only takes a minute or so, but brings huge benefits. No one wants to experience bad breath and you, of course, want to taste all the flavors in your food!
Most electric toothbrushes also have timers so you know you are brushing an adequate amount of time. Many people don’t set a timer to make sure they are brushing long enough when using a manual toothbrush. (You should be brushing for 2 minutes each time!)
With an electric toothbrush, the motion/movement is consistent, too. Brushing by hand with a manual brush depends on the motion of your hand and arm. This probably isn’t delivering constant and consistent movement like an electric toothbrush does. In fact, the average electric toothbrush provides about 30,000 bristle movements per minute, which isn’t possible with a manual brush.
Finally, it seems that using an electric toothbrush improves our focus on brushing. And this focus will translate to better brushing, which in turn means less for us to do here at TLC Dental Center. We love seeing you, but we’ll be happier knowing that your overall oral hygiene routine has improved.
The result of these factors is cleaner, healthier teeth, tongue, and gums!
#2 – Electric Toothbrushes Come With Multiple Brush Heads
With a manual toothbrush, you get one brush head and it has to do everything. Even if it isn’t equipped to do everything you need. With an electric toothbrush, the set usually comes with several brush heads for different tasks:
- Regular, daily brushing
- Deep cleaning
- Whitening
- Tongue cleaning
- Sensitive teeth cleaning
This allows the main body and battery of the unit to last longer and be used for much longer, approximately 3-5 years. That saves you money but also keeps hundreds of manual, plastic toothbrushes out of landfills.
#3 – They Save Money
We talked about saving money on the number of toothbrushes you’ll end up going through, but there are more savings than that. Those savings come from a reduced rate of cavities and gum problems after using an electric toothbrush.
As we’ve mentioned earlier, these brushes simply clean your teeth and gums better, and that means fewer visits to see us here at TLC Dental Center. Most insurance companies cover routine checks and other limited services, but they don’t cover extensive treatment plans to return your mouth and teeth to pristine condition. That’s more money out of your pocket.
Weigh the cost of purchasing an electric toothbrush against the cost of repairing cavities, receding gums, and other expensive dental work and there is no doubt which will end up being cheaper.
#4 – An Electric Toothbrush is a Lifesaver for Those with Limited Hand Mobility
Recent statistics show that 26% of the population of the U.S. have a disability. These numbers are expected to increase due to the effects of COVID-19 as well as a heightened awareness of the disabled and society’s responsibility to them.
Everyone wants clean teeth and a clean mouth. Those who suffer from hand and wrist problems can have those things by using an electric toothbrush. The user doesn’t have to move the brush as much, because the unit does most of the work on its own.
People who suffer from the following are helped most by using an electric toothbrush :
- Arthritis
- Carpal tunnel
- Hand and forearm disabilities
#5 – Brushing With an Electric Toothbrush is Easier for Those with Orthodontic Appliances
People with braces and other orthodontic appliances are helped the most by an electric toothbrush. The braces make it more difficult to clean your mouth so this toothbrush counteracts much of that difficulty. Children with braces especially find an electric toothbrush to be a great help in brushing. (See more on this below!)
#6 – Kids Love Electric Toothbrushes!
Parents know the pain of trying to get their children to brush at all, much less properly. Our team here at TLC Dental Center is happy to recommend anything that encourages children to brush!
An electric toothbrush will be much more engaging for them to use. Kids are used to things that have lots of buttons and movement, and some of the children’s electric toothbrushes even make music: A song plays for the length of time needed to brush completely. The bristles are soft and kids don’t mind the sensation on their teeth and gums. Electric toothbrushes seem to be the solution for many children!
We Can Help You Make the Switch to an Electric Toothbrush!
Do you have questions about using an electric toothbrush? Wondering which kind you should get? We are here to help! We’ll be happy to discuss the use of an electric toothbrush, and its benefits for you, and answer any questions you may have. We want to encourage the switch if appropriate and can also help you make the best selection for your toothbrush.
Contact us here at TLC Dental Center in Cherry Hill today! Plus, we now also offer virtual appointments!
