Brushing effectively with an electric toothbrush is an easy way to help keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy. Yes they’re more expensive than a regular toothbrush, and the replacement brush heads can be pricey, but the overall positives outweigh the costs.
If you struggle to spend adequate time when brushing, some electric toothbrushes have useful extra features, such as timers, to help improve your brushing technique. The two-minute cleaning programmes are invaluable for helping you make sure you spend enough time cleaning your teeth. Some have interval timers to signal when to move on to the next section of teeth, and some have pressure sensors that indicate if you’re brushing too hard.
The key to an electric toothbrush is to use it gently and for long enough. Split your mouth into 4 parts or quadrants, then aim to spend 3 seconds on each surface (inside and outside) of all teeth. Systematically cleaning the inside and outside surfaces of all of your teeth in conjunction with interdental cleaning (flossing) is the best way to reduce the risks of periodontal disease (gum disease) and decay.
Many electric toothbrush chargers fit in bathroom shaver points – so if you do not have one remember to purchase a plug adapter!
They have been clinically proven to remove more plaque over time, compared with a regular toothbrush.