Not necessarily! There are a number of electric toothbrushes that are fantastic. In our office, we like to recommend the Sonicare toothbrush, which looks most like a standard toothbrush, cleans very effectively, is user friendly and is a quality product. But the most important factor in picking your toothbrush is: which toothbrush will you will use the most?
The Ideal Time: Two Minutes
The ideal length for an adequate brushing session is two minutes. One benefit of going electric is that many electric toothbrushes have timers telling you to when two minutes are up. Some even tell you when to switch from your top to your bottom teeth! Electric toothbrushes are also a great way to get kids excited to brush two times a day and quite possibly for a longer interval at each time.
Brush Bristles: Firm or Soft?
Manual toothbrushes can do a very good job if used for the full two minutes and at an angle that reaches both the teeth and the gums. However, did you know that some traditional toothbrushes sold at the grocery stores can cause damage to your teeth? Less is more when it comes to the firmness of the bristles. I like to recommend a soft or even ultra-soft toothbrush for all of my patients. A firm brush can actually wear notches into your teeth, and ultimately cause sensitivity
The bottom line is that you can keep your teeth and gums just as healthy with either toothbrush style as long as you take the time and effort to adequately maintain them. Most people, however, appear to have better success with less effort with a good electric toothbrush. We feel it is a wise investment.
