Are you wondering whether an electric toothbrush is better than a regular one? It is important to understand that usage of a toothbrush makes you a superhero. The function of a toothbrush is to remove the rude bacteria that mess with your dental health. If you fail to brush your teeth, the bacteria build plaque. Plaque is the one that causes gingivitis and tooth decay, and subsequently tooth loss.
If you brush with fluoride toothpaste, you will harden the teeth’ surface and prevent cavities and tooth decay. If you apply the correct technique when brushing, it is possible to achieve the best results with electric and regular toothbrushes.
However, when it comes to kids, aged adults, and people living with disabilities or other conditions, an electric toothbrush is the best option. With the electric toothbrush, the individual can put it in the mouth and allow the electric movement to do the work. Here we will venture into the benefits of an electric toothbrush.
Advantages of Electric Toothbrush
To help you get rid of plaque from the gums and teeth, the bristles on the electric toothbrush rotate or vibrate. This vibration permits micro-movements each time you move the toothbrush across the teeth. Here are the advantages of an electric toothbrush.
1. More Effective Plaque Remover
An important part of maintaining healthy gums and teeth is proper cleaning. When it comes to teeth cleaning electric toothbrush is more efficient. The bristles efficiently eliminate more plaque buildup from your teeth than a regular toothbrush.
This is because the electric toothbrush can reach difficult places like the back molars. Subsequently, it reduces the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
2. Ease of Use
An electric toothbrush is designed to perform the most work on your behalf. This is a beneficial feature for individuals with limited movement. Examples are people with arthritis, carpal tunnel, and developmental disabilities.
3. Minimizes Waste
A time comes, and you find that your toothbrush is worn out and requires replacement. For an electric toothbrush, you do not have to replace the whole toothbrush, only the head. This makes it less wasteful since you do not throw away the entire brush-like for the manual one. In case you use a single-use electric toothbrush, you will require to replace it completely when the time for replacement comes.
4. Has Built-in Timers
The electric toothbrush has a built-in timer, which assists you in cleaning the teeth long enough. This sufficiently removes plaque from the gums and teeth.
5. Improves Focus When Brushing
If you brush using an electric toothbrush, you might be solely focused on cleaning the teeth. This might lead to an improved brushing experience and may enhance the quality of cleaning your teeth.
6. Improves Dental Health in Individuals with Orthodontic Appliances
If you have orthodontic appliances (for example, braces), an electric toothbrush might be of great help to you due to its ease of use. If you find that cleaning your teeth is a bit stressful for you and you are undergoing orthodontic therapy, use the electric toothbrush to improve dental health.
7. Removes Bad Breath
If you have poor oral hygiene, you are likely to suffer from bad breath. You might not be able to get rid of excess food particles that stick on your teeth using a regular toothbrush. However, electric toothbrushes help in removing all those food particles. This helps to freshen the breath.
8. Makes Teeth Cleaning Interesting for Kids
Most kids do not have an interest in brushing the teeth. In case an electric toothbrush can lure your kid into brushing their teeth, purchasing it for them will help attain good dental health.
9. Safe for Your Gums
Most people think that brushing hard removes plaque, but that is not true. Brushing with a lot of pressure can injure your gums. This may cause your gum to recede and bleed or even remove the enamel. An electric toothbrush will assist you not to brush extra hard.
Can You Save Time by Using an Electric Toothbrush?
If you brush using an electric toothbrush, you are more likely to save time. This is because you cover a bigger area faster, which means you can clean a large area simultaneously. By brushing by hand, you manage to make around 300 strokes every minute. An electric toothbrush makes thousands of strokes every minute.
What Is the Recommended Brushing Routine with an Electric Toothbrush?
To thoroughly clean your teeth, apply the correct technique for a minimum of two minutes. Here is the recommended technique that you should apply.
1. Clean Evenly and Thoroughly
Brush your teeth two times a day, in the morning and at night, for a minimum of two minutes every time. Ensure you brush all sides of your teeth, the inside and the outside. This refers to next to lips and cheeks and next to palate or tongue. Also, ensure you evenly clean across your teeth, bottom, and top, outside and inside.
2. Tilt Your Electric Toothbrush
Ensure you tilt your brush head at an angle of 45 to the point your teeth meet your gum. This is the point with most plaque. Apply a small amount of fluoride toothpaste and use it to brush. Fluoride toothpaste helps in decay and cavity prevention.
3. Clean Each Row at a Time
Begin with brushing the outer surface and brush each tooth lightly, from top to bottom, as you move towards the center of the mouth. Avoid brushing very hard because the bristles are meant to sweep lightly across your teeth.
By brushing very hard, you risk removing the enamel which protects your teeth. If the enamel is removed, you tend to experience heightened teeth sensitivity. Repeat the same procedure for all the other rows.
4. Clean the Teeth’ Inside Surfaces
Begin at the back as you clean from top to bottom of every tooth and as you move toward the middle of the mouth. Tilt your brush and apply the same procedure for the other sides.
5. Brush the Surfaces Used in Biting
It would be best if you ended your cleaning routine by brushing the biting surfaces. After you are done brushing, spit the toothpaste; however, do not rinse. This helps to retain the fluoride in your mouth, which prevents cavities.
6. Regularly Floss
It might be hard for the toothbrush to reach the gaps between the teeth. Daily flossing helps in dislodging plaque and bacteria between your teeth.
Can You Brush Your Teeth Too Much with an Electric Toothbrush?
An electric toothbrush does a thorough job when it comes to plaque removal. However, brushing too hard might have side effects. Electric brushes have a high possibility of causing abrade dentin.
This refers to the tissue below the enamel, which gets exposed when the gum recedes, or enamel gets removed. This leads to increased teeth sensitivity and can cause a cavity.
However, some other electric toothbrushes light-up, stop or beep when you brush extra hard. Others are sensitive to pressure, limiting it if it goes very high. Such an electric toothbrush helps you to avoid brushing too hard.
Conclusion
Both regular and electric toothbrushes are efficient when brushing your teeth. So long as you apply the correct brushing technique and clean for long enough, the two types of toothbrushes are applicable. However, an electric toothbrush makes brushing very easy, and this results in complete plaque removal.
The electric toothbrush is also efficient and convenient for individuals with disabilities or other disorders. It is also very convenient for kids who do not know how to brush properly. In case you still have a question regarding the electric toothbrush, do not hesitate to contact your dentist.
