This is an age-old question when it comes to oral hygiene—which cleans better, a manual toothbrush or an electric toothbrush?
For me, I have never used an electric toothbrush.
It just seems a tad bit frivolous and a manual toothbrush can get the work done and now they even have various bristle strengths to cater to your needs.
But for those who know nuts about the electric toothbrush, let me guide you to the world of technology and cleanliness.
Electric toothbrush
There are two types of electric toothbrush—vibration or rotation-oscillation.
The former requires a brushing technique which is similar to that used with a manual toothbrush whereas the latter doesn’t need one as you only need to move the brush from tooth to tooth.
With the aid of technology, we have various iterations of this snazzy contraption, from sonic toothbrushes to ultrasonic toothbrushes, each offering various movements per minutes.
Electric toothbrush vs manual toothbrush
According to a consumer report in 2015, electric toothbrush reduces plaque and gingivitis more by 21% and 11% respectively.
Consumer Reports dental adviser Jay W. Friedman, D.D.S., M.P.H., said: “If you don’t currently have gingivitis, it really doesn’t matter which brush you use.”
Gingivitis is the inflammation of the gums if you were wondering.
Like mentioned earlier, with different types of electric toothbrushes widely available in the market, it is very hard to pinpoint to one toothbrush and claim that it’s superior.
According to an article by Stuff, studies have favoured brushes with a rotation-oscillation function as it effectively reaches all of the teeth with the circular, alternating motions as opposed to the brushes that only vibrates.
But if you tend to over brush, electric toothbrush might make it worse.
Over brushing can wear down the enamel on the tooth and also damage the gums.
A study by the Journal of Clinical Periodontology which was quoted by the Daily Mail claimed that it was practically impossible for the average person to be able to tell if they were applying too much pressure when using an electric brush.
So, if you are an over brusher, you are most probably making the situation worse.
Final verdict
So, just like everything in life, there are pros and cons.
In an interview, Chairman of the Australian Dental Association’s oral heal committee, Dr Peter Alldritt said: “With correct brushing technique optimal results can be achieved with both manual and electric toothbrushes.”
“If someone is doing really well with a manual brush and not having any problems with plaque or brushing too hard, there is little to gain from switching to an electric toothbrush,” he added.
It all boils down to the technique, I mean you can have the newest car model, but if your driving sucks, you’re still a bad driver at the end of the day.
“The right brushing technique achieves a perfect balance between getting the toothbrush close to the gum so you remove all the plaque from the gum line, without pressing too hard and causing damage to the teeth and gums,” said Alldritt.
The trick is to not over brush! And, gargling your mouth with salt helps too!
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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