There are a lot of claims made by different companies who make electric toothbrushes about the wonderful things that they can do. Some of them are true and some of them are porky pies. For this article, we’ve asked award winning dentist, Andrew Wilson, to talk us through the different claims made by electric toothbrush manufactures. We are also going to reveal what we think is the best electric toothbrush available in 2018.
Gum Protection
Lots of electric toothbrushes claim to protect your gums. Actually, this is a fair claim. Electric toothbrushes can work to protect your gums in several ways.
The most basic way that an electric toothbrush helps to protect your gums is by removing plaque. Research has shown that people who use an electric toothbrush have less plaque than people who use a manual brush. The electric toothbrush does the hard work for you and is proven to give you a better clean than a normal toothbrush. In summary, an electric brush removes more bacteria which helps to protect the health of your gums.
The other way that electric toothbrushes can help to protect your gums is by stopping you from brushing too hard. If you brush too hard with a manual brush, you can cause your gums to shrink back. This is called recession and exposes the soft, sensitive root surface of your teeth. Most electric toothbrushes will tell you when you’re pushing too hard. They will make a noise or a little light will flash. Let the toothbrush do the work.
Tooth whitening
A lot of electric toothbrushes claim to whiten your teeth. This is not strictly true. When you brush with toothpaste and a toothbrush, you can remove some stain from your teeth. A decent electric brush might remove more staining than a cheap manual brush however it will not whiten your teeth. An electric toothbrush cannot change the natural colour of your teeth. Any toothbrush that claims to whiten your teeth is not being completely honest.
Healthier smile
This is a common claim and I’m happy to say that I believe this to be true. The majority of electric toothbrushes will help you to achieve a healthier smile. Now, I just want to point out that a fancy toothbrush will not solve all of your problems. You still need to know about the other ways to care for your teeth such as diet, toothpaste and avoiding smoking. However, an electric toothbrush is a good start.
Electric toothbrushes are proven to give you a better clean than a normal brush. It is possible to get a great clean with a manual brush but it is much harder and most people won’t manage it. When you use an electric toothbrush, most people remove more bacteria from the surface of their teeth. These are the bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease so you need to get rid of them. Less bacteria, less disease; if used properly, an electric toothbrush can make a huge difference to your dental health.
You need the gadgets
This is the claim that annoys me the most. The top of the range electric toothbrushes always have a load of gadgets or phone apps that connect to the toothbrush. I do not believe that your toothbrush needs bluetooth. What is the point in connecting your toothbrush to your phone? As a dentist, I get to try out most of these toys and phone applications and, in my experience, none of them work very well. It’s also distracting to focus on your phone when you should be focusing on your teeth. You don’t need the gadgets. You need a reliable, effective, electric toothbrush.
The best electric toothbrush in 2018
Okay, so actually a lot of the claims that companies make are true. But we also know that you don’t need the gadgets that come with the top-of-the-range toothbrush. So what’s the best electric toothbrush in 2018 that combines good cleaning, decent battery life and value for money.
The best toothbrush available at the moment is the Oral-B Pro 2 2500N electric toothbrush.
- Oral-B 3D technology movement: Round toothbrush head oscillates, rotates and pulsates to break up 100 Percent more plaque vs manual toothbrush
- Protect your sensitive gums: Visible gum pressure sensor reduces brushing speed and alerts if you brush too hard
- From day 1: Gently whitens your teeth from 1st use by removing surface stains and plaque
- Two cleaning brushing modes: Daily clean and gum care
- Oral-B is the No. 1 brand: Used by dentist professionals and approved by the Oral Health Foundation
I love this toothbrush. It has a rotating, oscillating head that all of the Oral-B brushes have. It has a reliable battery and it gives a great, clean feeling. The brush is almost the same as the Oral-B Genius 9000 but without all of the silly gadgets.
Andrew Wilson (GDC number 209563) is the winner of Best Young Dentist in the UK 2017. He is an award winning dentist working in central London. Andrew is not affiliated with any other company. This article represents Andrew’s opinion on what is the best electric toothbrush on the market in 2018.
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