Toothbrush Recommendations
I am a huge fan of electric toothbrushes!
“What toothbrush do you recommend?” is a question I get asked all the time, and my answer is the same for 99% of my patient population. I recommend a rechargeable electric toothbrush with a pressure sensor light.
Electric toothbrushes are better at removing bacteria than manual toothbrushes. Cavities and gum disease are caused by bacteria, so removing more bacteria means healthier teeth and gums.
Rechargeable electric toothbrushes tend to be higher quality and more powerful compared to toothbrushes that take disposable AA batteries. Again, this means they’re better at cleaning your teeth.
The pressure sensor feature is amazing for people that over-brush. It is important to brush thoroughly to remove plaque effectively, but brushing too hard can cause gum recession. The pressure sensor is a light on the toothbrush that flashes red if you press too hard. Using a pressure sensor is the only way that I have seen to actually get hard-brushers back off on their extreme brushing pressure.
Electric toothbrushes are not a silver bullet to improving your teeth, but they are an amazing tool.
OK, now on to specific models.
Two common brands of high-quality electric toothbrushes are Oral-B and Philips Sonicare; however, Sonicare electric toothbrushes do NOT have pressure sensor lights, only pressure sensor vibration, so I recommend Oral-B over Sonicare.
Within Oral-B, there are two styles to choose from, the IO series and the Genius series
The IO Series 3 is the lowest base model with all of the recommended features. From Series 3 to Series 10, each model has upgrades in the features that are optional. The Series 6 has a display so that you can see how long you have been brushing and what setting you are using, which is helpful.
In the Genius series, the 7500 and the X both have the recommended features. The Genius series is louder than the IO, so some people may find they prefer using the IO series. However, the Genius has fewer nooks and crannies to keep clean, so others prefer it for this reason.
I have used toothbrushes from both the IO series and the Genius series, and they are great toothbrushes! They will all remove plaque well when used correctly, so you can’t go wrong. I recommend shopping around and seeing what is in your budget and what features are appealing to you.
Do you have any questions about these recommendations? What toothbrush do you use, and do you like it? Comment below to let us know 🙂
Happy electric toothbrushing!
-Dr. Tsai