Whether you are new to the world of electric toothbrushes, or you are just looking to upgrade your old one, our buying guide will give you all the information you need to make the right choice.
Electric toothbrushes vs. regular
First of all, if you are upgrading from a regular toothbrush to an electric toothbrush, there are some things to be aware of.
A regular toothbrush uses bristles and toothpaste to push away debris and to clean your teeth. You are manually moving the brush around your mouth, and should do this for 2 minutes at least twice a day. But no matter how well you brush with your manual brush, you will never match the efficiency of a good electric toothbrush.
An electric toothbrush uses a motor to vibrate or oscillate a brush head, usually more than 30,000 times per minute. When you brush with an electric brush, you let it do the work as you guide it from tooth to tooth. When you finish, your teeth should feel like you just left the dentist office.
The difference between manual and electric brushes has been scientifically proven, and most reputable companies will say that a good electric brush will clean 7-10x better than any manual brush. In our own experience, we have seen a huge difference in plaque tests between using a regular brush vs. a good Oral-B or Sonicare brush.
Electric toothbrushes are also a great solution for anyone with arthritis or disabilities who would find it hard to move a manual brush effectively. Honestly, after using an electric brush for a few years, it is hard to go back to manually brushing.
Types of an electric toothbrush
Before you choose the right toothbrush, you should know the different kinds of electric toothbrushes there are to choose from and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Rotating
Many people think that Oral-B brushes rotate, but they do not. They oscillate quickly back and forth. True rotating toothbrush heads are found in dentist offices but rarely in homes. Rotating bristles would wear away the enamel and gums if not used properly.
Oscillating
The more common type of brush is one with an oscillating head. Most Oral-B brand brushes have round heads that move quickly (about 10,000 times per minute) 45 degrees back and forth. This oscillating scrubs your teeth clean safely and evenly. Most Oral-B brushes combine these oscillations with faster vibrations or pulsations for a deeper cleaning.
Sonic
The most common electric toothbrushes are referred to as sonic brushes. This is because they vibrate at over 20,000 movements per minute. Some people think that the sound of the brush vibrating actually cleans the teeth, but this is not true. It is the vibrating bristles themselves that do the work to release debris from your teeth. A quality sonic brush will clean better than any other kind.
Dual head/Triple head/Y-brush/U-brush.
Some companies have what look like gimmick brushes to save you time. One of these is a dual head brush which promises to brush your teeth twice as fast. They also have triple-head brushes and even Y or U-shaped brushes that you put into your mouth, promising clean teeth in 30 seconds. In our research, we have found that none of these do a very good job of actually cleaning, so it is better to stick with the more traditional shapes.
Ultrasonic
A small niche of electric toothbrushes include ultrasonic brushes that vibrate at least 2 million times per minute, and most move even faster. The movements are so small that you don't even know the brush is doing anything, but the theory is that the ultrasonic pulses actually remove plaque and debris without even touching your teeth. The results based on research are mixed, and these brushes are usually very expensive.
Ionic
Another new wave of toothbrushing are ionic brushes. These have an ionic charge that promises to pull plaque from your teeth like a magnet attracting iron. Again, reviews and studies of these brushes are mixed, so we wouldn't spend our money on one until there is more data.
How to choose the best electric toothbrush
So which brush is right for you? There are lots of features to choose from, and we will help guide you through them.
Brushing modes
Most electric toothbrushes will advertise how many modes they have. A big difference between a cheaper brush and an expensive one will be 1 mode vs. 6 modes. However, in our experience, these modes do not necessarily clean your teeth better. We recommend 2 modes or intensities: a regular daily mode and sensitive mode just in case you need a gentler cleaning. Other modes like whitening and gum care are not useful in our opinion.
Brush heads
Another marking pitch and profit point for brush makers are their brush heads. Once you buy an electric toothbrush, you will be spending money every 3 months or so to replace the old brush head. In our tests, we found this absolutely necessary—our 3 month old brush head was removing hardly any plaque compared with a brand new brush head. However, we found that the standard cleaning brush that comes with your brush is good enough. If you have sensitive teeth, most makers will offer a sensitive version of their brush head, and if you have braces, then you may need a special brush for cleaning.
Battery life
A decent electric toothbrush with a lithium ion battery should give you a minimum of 2 weeks between charges. You want to avoid NiCad brushes as these do not last as long. Look for a toothbrush with a decent battery indicator that tells you when it is about to run out. It is really frustrating to be brushing only to have the brush die in the middle of a session.
Noise levels
Another consideration is loudness. In general, Oral-B brushes are the loudest ones on the market, so if you are sensitive to noise, then a decent sonic brush might be a better option for you. We like a toothbrush that is below 65dB, so we don't wake up our roommates at night.
Brushing timer
Any modern electric toothbrush will come with a 2-minute timer to let you know when you have brushed long enough. Most of these break up the session into 4 30-second chunks and this is called a “quadpacer.” The brush will usually vibrate or stop to let you know that it is time to move from one quadrant of your mouth to the next.
Smart toothbrushes may let you choose how long you want to brush for and allow you to add time to your sessions for a deeper clean.
Pressure sensors
Another nice feature you will see on better brushes is a pressure sensor. The idea here is that overbrushing has been shown to accelerate gum recession, so electric brush manufacturers like Philips and Oral-B have implemented pressure sensors that alert you with a light and a drop in power that you are brushing too hard. These are especially helpful for those moving from a manual brush to an electric brush.
Smart functionality
If you like technology, then there is no shortage of it in the electric toothbrush market. Several makers have high-end brushes that come equipped with Bluetooth and connect to a downloadable app via your phone.
We found most of these to be more of a gimmick than useful. One exception is for new users learning how to brush. The better apps will check your progress and show you where you aren't brushing enough, and these coaching sessions can be helpful to improve your brushing routine.
Handle type
Because the handle is the main interface between you and your brush, you want it to be comfortable and secure. The best thing to do before buying is to actually go to a shop and check out a floor model to see which brush feels right to you. We prefer good grips with buttons that are well-positioned that have a nice click to them.
Travel bag/case
Another feature that can be useful is a travel case. Check to see if the brush you are buying comes with a decent travel case or travel bag if you want to take your brush with you when you go on vacations or work trips.
Conclusion
The most important thing an electric toothbrush should do is to get your teeth as clean as possible between dentist visits so you can avoid cavities. A quality electric toothbrush will do a better job of this than a manual brush. We have given you the tools, so you can find the best brush for your oral health routine.
For us, it comes down to Sonicare vs. Oral-B and most of the other brushes are not worth buying. We like Sonicare because of the comfortable, quieter brushing sessions; but many people swear by the power of Oral-B's oscillating brush heads. It is really about your personal preference.