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Why Should You Choose An Electric Vs. A Manual Toothbrush?

As someone who has examined thousands of smiles, I say this with conviction: the difference between using an electric toothbrush versus a manual one is noticeable. Here’s eight reasons why you should add an electric toothbrush to your family’s back-to-school shopping list.

Forty-seven seconds, one time per day. That’s the average time people spend brushing their teeth – about a quarter of the time that is actually needed to do the job well.

I’ve seen it over and over again with my own eyes: people who use electric toothbrushes maintain whiter teeth and healthier gums, which ultimately leads to a better checkup. And isn’t that what everyone wants?

Here’s eight reasons for everyone in your family to use an electric toothbrush instead of a manual one.

1. It does a lot of the work for you.

Electric toothbrushes vibrate, rotate, oscillate and break up bacteria far better than a manual one.

Leading electric toothbrush brands cover anywhere from 30,000-48,000 strokes per minute. In the same amount of time, you’ll only be able to do a fraction of that, about 300-600 strokes per minute, by hand brushing.

That’s six to eight times more movement per minute.

2. Leads to better, faster check-ups.

Because an electric rotating toothbrush head mimics the instrument used by hygienists, if you use it regularly, you’ll have cleaner teeth.

Ultimately, your professional cleaning appointment will go quicker, and you’ll have a healthier check up too.

3. There’s a timer built in.

Whether it beeps, buzzes or switches songs, electric toothbrushes typically alert you when to move to a different area of your mouth.

This offers a superior clean, and prevents the temptation for a quick, 20-second brushing.

4. Helps people with physical limitations.

Electric toothbrushes are ideal for people who have difficulty reaching in the back of their mouth or brushing properly due to limited ability to move their shoulders, arms or hands due arthritis or ALS.

It’s also a great tool for a care provider to keep a patient’s mouth healthy.

5. Entertains children.

Most kids find the buzzing sensations enjoyable. Some electric toothbrushes also sing songs, and are available for purchase in favorite colors.

6. Blasts coffee and wine stains.

Although not a complete solution to whitening, adults using one will find an electric toothbrush helps blast away beverages that are prone to staining teeth like coffee and wine.

For children, they do a great job of removing the sugar bugs that make their way into the pits and grooves of their teeth.

7. Safer for special dental cases.

Electric toothbrushes are safe to use on sensitive teeth, or for those who have orthodontics, dental work, veneers or implant materials.

There are various brush heads available that match a person’s dental needs, including one that works specifically for braces to get in between the wire brackets.

Almost all electric toothbrushes have a digital reminder to tell you when it’s time to replace your brush head. Usually, this happens around every three months.

8. Provides better dental cleaning and oral health.

Their slim, angled neck and contour-fit bristles get deep between teeth and along the gum line. Improving gum health reduces gingivitis, or inflammation, and lessens the chance of bleeding gums.

However, no toothbrush, electric or manual, is good unless you use it. Make sure the toothbrush head is in good condition, and replace it if bristles are no longer straight and firm.

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