If you brush your teeth twice a day, then it generally doesn’t matter which type of toothbrush you choose. But if you’re like most normal human adults and you only brush once a day (no judgement, we understand…), then you should consider using an electric toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes provide better cleaning action than manual brushes.

With electric toothbrushes, studies are showing that they are decreasing plaque and gingivitis than their manual toothbrush competitors. After three months of use, plaque was reduced by 21% and gingivitis by 11%. In addition, oscillating toothbrushes (toothbrushes that rotate) seem to work better than just vibrating toothbrushes.

Regardless if it has pictures of Cocomelon or not, one of the most important things to consider when buying kids a toothbrush is what kind of bristles it has. We recommend looking at the shape of the bristles and the density of the bristles.

Shape – Bristles on toothbrushes are either straight or rounded, and the difference between the two is sometimes very subtle. Rounded bristles are usually recommended for most people (including kids) as they’re effective at removing plaque and bacteria while also being gentle. Straight bristles can damage tooth enamel or gums, especially if your child tends to brush too hard. 

As mentioned above, we lean to be pro-electric toothbrushes. Put simply, you just can’t beat the fact that they’re cleaning better and helping prevent more diseases than their manual counterparts. As to which specific electric toothbrushes we recommend at Cherry Hill Dentistry, we have two favorites (both available in the office!):

• The Oral B iO Series – This toothbrush is a newer one for our office, and a lot of the people here use it themselves. It has an interactive display that tells you whether you’re brushing too hard, too soft, or just right. It also comes with a progress bar that tells you when your 2 minutes are up, and brushes using our favorite method — oscillating action.

• Sonic Toothbrush from Burst – An absolute favorite for our team. You’ve probably even seen the videos of them demonstrating the power of their toothbrush on some corn (how Nebraskan). Not only was this one of the first electric toothbrushes that doesn’t look like a medical device (think: if Apple released a toothbrush), but it’s also one of the easiest and most useful electric toothbrushes we’ve put to the test, with its super-soft charcoal black bristles and super powerful motor.

If you’re in the market for a new toothbrush and still unsure what to get, talk to Dr. Tanya or the hygienist next time you’re in the office. We’ll be happy to help you pick out the best fit for your mouth, lifestyle, and pocketbook. 

Cherry Hill Dentistry, located in Lincoln, NE, provides exceptional general dental and specialty services for our community.