Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My dentist suggest me to switch over to electric toothbrush. Is it safe or better than manual toothbrush?
Which one I have to choose, there are many available, like oral B, Sani White, Sonicare by Philips.
I used Oral B electric toothbrushes for many years with great results. Every time I went in for a cleaning the hygienist always remarked about how great my home care was. About five years ago I got veneers put on twelve of my teeth and after that I was reluctant to use an electric toothbrush because I had a few veneers pop off - not while I was brushing but I thought maybe the electric toothbrush was too rough.
So now I just use a regular soft toothbrush at home and I have my teeth cleaned by the hygienist twice per year. She still says I have really good home care : )
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,585 posts, read 81,186,228 times
Reputation: 57820
I have used a Sonicare for many years, and my only complaint is the high price of replacement heads. I think last time it was $49 for 6 at Costco. Now that I think about it, those will last3 months, so that's 18 months, doesn't seem that bad then at about $2.70/month.
I first had gotten a Sonicare but switched to Oral B which is a better size for my mouth and since I have issues w/my dominant hand it's much easier to use the electronic - make sure you get one w/30 second timer.
I started using a Sonicare electric toothbrush about 20 years ago. The first one lasted 6 years before it would not recharge. The second Sonicare I bought lasted about 7 years. The third Sonicare I bought ( they have a 2 year warranty) died at 2 yrs and 5 months. Because I had registered the unit on line it extended the standard 2 year warranty an extra 6 months.
I called customer service and they walked me thru a reset procedure to be sure it was the handle of the toothbrush that had failed and not the recharging piece that plugs into your outlet. Once they determined it was the handle that had failed they sent me a free replacement handle and a postage paid envelope to send back the defective handle. It is close to 7 years old now and still going strong.
Phillips Sonicare has excellent customer service - and don't forget to register your purchase on line!
A hygienist suggested trying an electric many years ago so I bought a Sonicare and have used it ever since. No complaints. I use less pressure while brushing with it too, which isn't a bad thing. At checkups they always comment how generally clean my teeth are and cleanings go quicker. Just bought a replacement brush as the original battery pack will no longer hold a charge. It lasted much longer than the literature predicted.
In the end, as long as you actually USE the thing, making the switch from manual to electric probably makes more of a difference than which brand of electric you pick. The minor differences probably come down to personal preference.
The question of manual versus electric is a no brainer. Electric is hundreds of times better than manual when used as directed. So, regardless what electric you choose, you'll always be so far ahead of the dental care game just by picking an electric.
The question of which type is a pure matter of personal choice. Some people can't take the sonic versions and others dislike the rotational models. Since the difference in actual oral care is so small, one really has no advantage over the other. What is measured is the disadvantage of one over the other based on usage. If you don't like how one feels and operates and you don't use it, that's the real disadvantage.
So the gap between manual and electric is the Grand Canyon while different electric methods is just a crack in the sidewalk. The recommendation I was given was to go buy a cheapo throw away rotational, vibrating, tri mode models and try each. Once you figure which type of brushing action works best for you, that's when you can focus on the various features of brand/models using that brushing method/action.
I have a sonic care, but recently we went on an overnight trip, so I packed a battery operated Colgate one. I found out I liked the feel of the battery one better than my plug in one, so I've been using that since we came home.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
