Ok, today you see a bunch of toothbrushes that have “teeth whiteners” and “teeth polishers” and raised bristles that supposedly clean your teeth better. Is all you really need is a brush with bristles?
I don’t have an answer, but I’ve got another question about ‘special’ toothbrushes. Are the new, inexpensive, semi-disposable electric toothbrushes really more effective than manual brushing? I’m sure some Crest- or Colgate-funded study says they are, but anecdotally they don’t seem to work nearly as well as manual brushing. (I’m judging this by the ‘clean mouth feeling’ that’s probably the main thing dental hygeine product manufacturers go by, at least when the dentists aren’t around.)
I was at my dentist this morning, and I asked him about this as my Braun electric is about to die (the next time I drop it on the tile floor will be one time too many).
He said that he was strongly in favor of the Braun electric brush, as opposed to the Sonicare. He found the rotary motion did a very good job in keeping his patients’ teeth and gums in good condition. He didn’t have a strong opinon on whether any of the Braun models were better than the others.
Your milage may vary, of course.
I’m not sure they are, overall. But they may be for kids. This is because kids think it’s fun to brush their teeth with an electric toothbrush with their favorite cartoon charcater on it, and therefore, brush their teeth more frequently, and for longer periods of time.
I don’t know of any studies. However, (anecdote ahead) I have noticed that I have noticably less plaque and tartar since switching to a cheap electric tootbrush. I know it’s not that my brushing habits have improved.
Ditto for my dentist and I’ve been using a Braun 3D for years now. Its little rotary brush lets you get into those back molars well. Also, using an electric toothbrush avoids the occasional trauma that you accidentally inflict on your gum or cheek when you brush too hard or when your toothbrush slips while brushing.
I recently asked about the various weird brushes and stuff at the dentist, and the answer I got was that brushing regularly was, in many ways, the important issue and not the exact style of toothbrush or the type of toothpaste you use. So, if you feel more comfortable with an electric, or a paticular flavor of paste, go for it if it makes you more likely to brush regularly and thoroughly or easier for you to reach nooks and crannies or whatever.
Personally, I use a manual brush with just about any toothpaste at hand, three times per day. Last cavity was over 25 years ago, no gum disease at present. I get the stains removed every six months. Works for me.
My wife is a dentist. What do we use at home? Just a regular, $0.99 toothbrush from Meijer. No Reach-like angles; no odd-length bristles; no vibrating or rotating parts.
What does she scream at me constantly? Up and down, not back and forth. Don’t forget to get behind the teeth. Brush more often. Use floss.
It’s the up and down that can be much easier with a rotary electric. My dentist, like several of the others, recommended the Braun years ago. I now use a similar disposable by Crest that does the same thing. Effect? Much healthier gums and teeth.
But I must say that the disposables aren’t a very good value in the long run. My Crest chews through double-As at about a pair every 4-6 weeks. Now, I seem to use fewer brush heads on the Crest (and that’s where Braun/Oral-B/Gillette really makes its money), but I’d still say that I’m forking over more dollars with Crest than I did with a rechargable Braun.
Best tooth brush ever !
I’ve had very bad luck with my electric Crest SpinBrush (the Pro Whitening variety, if that makes a difference). The first one went through batteries pretty rapidly, and was dead in about 7 months. The second one started leaking into the battery compartment and dripping rusty brown water all over every time I used it. That was less than a month into owning it. I’m back to an old-fashioned manual toothbrush now.
I don’t know about them being junk, but I’m a toothbrush junkie. Everytime they advertise a new one on tv, I have to have it.
My wife had some seriously nasty periodontal pockets/Loose gums. Dentist recommended Sonicare. Next visit her gums were normal and the pockets were gone.
However, the Sonicare has a 2 minute timer which causes us both to brush longer than we would otherwise.