Electric Toothbrush Review

Electric toothbrushes: Better than manual brushing?

Does an electric toothbrush really clean your teeth better than a manual toothbrush? Until recently, many dental experts said no, maintaining that if you brush for two minutes at least twice a day, floss and visit your dentist regularly, manual brushes and electric toothbrushes are equally effective. However, research by the Cochrane Oral Health Group and others now indicate that powered toothbrushes with an oscillating rotating action are more effective than manual toothbrushes in reducing plaque and gingivitis. Other types of powered toothbrushes produced less consistent reductions in plaque and gingivitis than manual brushes. The Cochrane group's study involved 3,855 participants and over 25 different powered and manual toothbrushes. ConsumerReports.org is not a good review source when it comes to electric toothbrushes. Editors have only tested four models over the last five years, and none recently.

We found the best review of electric toothbrushes in the British publication Which? magazine. Its test includes 12 electric toothbrushes, most of which are available in the United States as well as the U.K. The brushes are tested on a model of four molars. Plaque removal is measured with a device called a scanning laser vibrometer, which combines a laser scanner, a sensor and a video camera. Testers also assess battery performance and charging time, ease of use and comfort. Each of the 12 toothbrushes receives a lengthy review. Good Housekeeping also tests electric toothbrushes in their video series, "GH on TV." In addition, we found single-product reviews on the websites for Popular Mechanics and Stylist.com, as well as consumer reviews at Amazon.com, Drugstore.com and Target.com.

We also found several scientific studies in dental journals comparing toothbrushes against each other. Although these studies provide interesting data, it should be noted that most of these are sponsored by a toothbrush manufacturer.

Oral-B recently updated its popular Triumph line of toothbrushes, although previous versions may still be available for a while from some retailers. The new brushes are very similar but have dropped the Triumph name and are now called ProfessionalCare SmartSeries. These new Oral-B electric toothbrushes work in the same manner but come with more brush heads and include five brushing modes instead of four.

The problem with any kind of toothbrush is that many people just aren't dentally self-disciplined. A number of articles we came across during our research say that most Americans brush for only 30 to 60 seconds, which is half the time recommended by dentists, and not nearly long enough to enable the fluoride in toothpaste to work properly. Reviewers say the best electric toothbrushes come with a two-minute timer and are able to reach hard-to-clean areas better than most of us tend to do with a manual brush.

For those of us who could use a little encouragement to keep brushing past the one-minute mark, experts say electric toothbrushes are worth the investment. They're also good for folks who have restricted use of their hands or arms, and for children who might be motivated to brush longer with a fun-to-use electric brush.