Electric Toothbrushes are battery-operated toothbrushes that make rapid motions and oscillations to clean teeth. There are several advantages of using an electric toothbrush:
* Effective Cleaning
With high frequency oscillations, the rotating toothbrush head is able to clean the mouth of plaque, stains and food residue. This is supported by a 2014 Cochrane Study "Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health" which found that "Powered toothbrushes reduce plaque and gingivitis more than manual toothbrushing in the short and long term".
* Safe
Electric toothbrushes not only provide effective cleaning but are also safe. A key concern is the use of electric toothbrushes causing gingival recession or damage to the gums. However a 2014 Study "Gingival abrasion and recession in manual and oscillating-rotating power brush users" concluded that "Lower post-brushing gingival abrasion levels were seen in the power group". However, "there was no correlation between gingival abrasion as a result of brushing and the observed gingival recession following use of either toothbrush".
* Less challenging for pople with limited mobility
For people who possess poor dexterity or find it difficult to reach the rear of the mouth, such as sufferers of arthritis, the electric toothbrush is prefered over the manual toothbrush.
* Reduce fear of visiting the dentist
Some dentists have claimed that electric toothbrushes reduce the fear that children associate with visiting the dentist. This could be due to the visual similarities between dental instruments and the electric toothbrush.
In our next post, we will look at the disadvantages of using electric toothbrushes.