Manual vs Electric vs Sonic Toothbrush
Which is Best??
In between your regular teeth cleanings, you should regularly brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss your teeth at least once a day . The type of toothbrush you choose can impact your overall oral hygiene.
Recent years have brought about a huge change in what the market has to offer consumers looking to take better care of their teeth. With so many options available it can be difficult to know which toothbrush is the right one for you! Let's take a look at how the options stack up in general...
Manual Toothbrushes
The standard toothbrush hasn't really had any drastic changes over the years. The only real advancements have been changes in bristle lengths and the handle design. For most people with normal brushing, you can only get around 300 brush strokes per minutes with a manual toothbrush. They are also limited in the sense that they only clean the surfaces that they actually brushing up against. This leaves the area below the gum susceptible to bacteria accumulation and plaque buildup since a handheld toothbrush typically can't reach these areas. When supplemented with regular flossing, the spaces between teeth can achieve a decent level of plaque, bacteria, and food debris removal. Unfortunately, a lot of people do not floss as frequently as they should, and when they do, it's often easy to do it too quickly and not utilize the proper technique which misses the side surfaces between teeth.
Electric Toothbrushes
Electric toothbrushes have been around for some time and can help to improve brushing habits . They are easier to use than manual toothbrushes because they require less effort and many of the electric brushes have a two-minute shut off which is the amount of time typically required to brush all the surfaces of all the teeth. An electric toothbrush improves the automation of the brush stroke and increases it to around 4,000 brushstrokes per minute.
While electric brushes are typically quite inexpensive, it is important to remember that they only clean the surfaces of the teeth that they actually touch and should also be supplemented with good effective use of dental floss
Ultrasonic Toothbrushes
The most recent advancement in toothbrush design is the ultrasonic toothbrush. Most sonic toothbrushes can give users up to 40,000 brush strokes per minute, providing a surface cleaning that is virtually unattainable by standard brushing alone. These types of toothbrushes also take advantage of fluid dynamics when it comes to cleaning teeth. This means that they move the brush head up and down at such a rapid rate that they are able to turbulently move particles of water and air in a gentle and effective enough way to easily clean between the teeth and below the gumline. Sonic toothbrushes have been proven to be most successful in removing plaque which improves tooth and gum health.
Ultimately, the best toothbrush is the one you will use! Along with regular visits to the dentist, choose a toothbrush that fits your specific needs and preferences to achieve optimal dental and oral health.
Give us a call at Loveland Family Dentistry (970-219-6620) if you have dental questions, concerns or to schedule your next visit.
Do you have a favorite type or brand of toothbrush? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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