Electric or Analog Toothbrush ? Which One ? (dentist, cost, mouth, floss)

[CNYC]

Greetings.

I am thinking of upgrading to an electric toothbrush. Is it worth the effort and costs involved and do these things last ? Some models are very expensive. Can you use regular toothpaste on them ? some have re-fill cartridges of what toothpaste ?

Some have bluetooth and an App which I find to be nuts.

Thanks

[athena53]

I've used Philips Sonicare, the e-series, for years, on the recommendation of my dentist. No app, no toothpaste refill cartridge so you can use any kind. If you have a Costco membership make sure you buy a version that has refill heads available there- they're expensive.


The one I bought was a little more expensive but I got one that can be used in foreign electrical systems wuth only an adapter (not a transformer) because it accepts a wider range of input voltages.

[gypsychic]

tried using one for awhile, but found it a pain. I actually can do a much better job with my soft bristle brush and an end tuft brush. But I guess it comes down to what one prefers using.

[clawsondude]

I've been using a Sonicare for about a year and I'm happy with it. One plus is that it has a timer that helps make sure I brush each quadrant of my mouth for 30 seconds.

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by CNYC

Greetings.

I am thinking of upgrading to an electric toothbrush. Is it worth the effort and costs involved and do these things last ? Some models are very expensive. Can you use regular toothpaste on them ? some have re-fill cartridges of what toothpaste ?

Some have bluetooth and an App which I find to be nuts.

Thanks

I've used a manual most of my life. A recent dentist suggested an electric and recommended a Sonicare due to reliability, the ability to clean crevices well without applying as much physical force, and good reviews from her other patients. Bought it probably 8 years ago and I'm still using it today. All I've replaced are the brush heads but even those I don't replace as frequently as the manual suggests. Same toothpaste I've always used. No way am I going to buy little cartridges and throw away more plastic waste. I don't need or want additional gadgetry. If the battery does happen to fail at some point nothing prevents you from using the thing manually until you get around to changing that. It is still a BRUSH!

At some point the specific model (with or without fancy non-essential features) doesn't really matter. What matters is that you USE it. Just isn't that difficult folks.

[Cruzincat]

I recommend SpinBrush. It has two sections. One is circular and is at the tip. Behind that is a rectangular section that goes back and forth(end to end). There are replacement tips that are reasonable in cost. I recommend Medium(as opposed to soft). I haven't seen anything more firm. The medium lasts longer before it has to be replaced.

It will stand by itself, so you don't have to lean it against anything else, which means no cross contanimation with other toothbrushes or a stand. It takes two AA batteries.

You still need to floss.

[Ghaati]

I use an Oral B electric brush. The handle will last several years before the battery stops holding the charge, and the battery is replaceable. The brush heads are expensive (in my opinion), unless you get generic knockoffs of questionable quality or take a chance on the ones made in Germany (no one seems to know if they're the real deal or counterfeits) from Amazon. At Walmart, a 2-pack of brush heads can be over $20. On Amazon you can get 10 brush-heads (generic, counterfeit, possibly legit) for $30.

The brush itself will run you around $20 if you buy at a big box store (Costco, BJ's, Sams) for the cheaper model. I have the Pro 5000 but that's because I was an "official" reviewer and was given it by Oral B to review. That was years ago, and it still works fine. As long as I can continue to afford the brush heads, I'll keep using it til it eventually dies.

[Mattie]

I also use the Oral B, a rechargeable. My dentist recommended switching to an electric, and I have to admit, the twice yearly cleanings with a hygienist are much faster since I began using it.

[CNYC]

I am looking into the Sonicare Diamond Model.

Thanks for all the replies.

[oldgardener]

You don't have to spend a ton of $$$$$ on an electric toothbrush. I've used a $30 one from the grocery store for years, and it works just fine.


Don't forget to floss.