Both manual and electric toothbrushes can be used to effectively clean your teeth. Here, our Fort St. John dentists discuss the benefits that electric toothbrushes may offer, depending on your needs.
Should I use an electric toothbrush?
A regular manual toothbrush is a great tool for cleaning your teeth, provided that you are thorough, and use the proper brushing technique.
- Place the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gums.
- Gently move the brush in a circular motion across the teeth.
- Remember to brush the outer surfaces of your teeth as well as the inner surfaces and the chewing surfaces.
If you clean your teeth thoroughly and your dentist is satisfied with the state of your oral health, then it sounds like you're doing a great job! There’s no need for any additional tools (other than floss, of course; use that once a day!).
However, if you struggle to brush all of your teeth as well as you should using a manual toothbrush, or if you or your dentist feel your oral hygiene routine could use a boost, you may find an electric toothbrush to be a helpful tool.
How can an electric toothbrush help?
Electric toothbrushes that have small, round, rotating heads mimic the ideal brushing motion. Our team feels that it's best to avoid electric toothbrushes that make a sawing motion if you can.
Electric toothbrushes can make brushing easier because you hardly have to do any work! Simply apply your toothpaste to your electric toothbrush, place it up against your teeth, and turn it on. Then all you have to do is guide it gently around your mouth, over all the surfaces of your teeth.
You don’t need to perform the brushing motion yourself, and this makes it much easier to clean the backs of your front teeth (which can be awkward with a manual toothbrush). The small round head also makes cleaning your back molars and other tight or hard-to-reach areas a little easier, too.
And because the head spins so quickly, electric toothbrushes can do a great job of removing surface stains from your teeth. Some electric toothbrushes even have timers so that you know when your full two minutes are up!
Generally, an electric toothbrush can be a great tool for helping you brush more thoroughly, and may even make brushing feel like less of a chore.
Will an electric toothbrush be too hard on my sensitive teeth and gums?
Some people hesitate to try an electric toothbrush because they are concerned it would not be gentle on the enamel of their teeth, or on their gums.
However, many electric toothbrush users find that it actually helps them brush more gently since they don’t have to make the scrubbing motion themselves. Scrubbing your teeth tends to make you want to apply pressure. This is a non-issue with an electric toothbrush, as it performs the motion for you.
If you are very concerned about brushing too hard, many electric toothbrush brands sell heads with soft bristles for sensitive teeth and gums.
