Electric toothbrushes are not gimmicks, as you may have been led to believe. Major dental studies have shown that using a good electric toothbrush leads to better oral hygiene due to a number of factors. While good electric toothbrushes cost a good deal more to buy than even a multi-pack of regular manual toothbrushes, the benefits are definitely worth the extra money. Here's what we look for when evaluating the best electric toothbrushes:
Motion
The single biggest difference between electric toothbrushes is the type of brushing motion it offers. Sonicare toothbrushes utilize sonic technology to pulse the bristles at a high frequency, while standard electronic toothbrushes use a motor to oscillate the brush head. Both are major improvements over manual brushing.
Ease of use
Any toothbrush should be simple to use, and an electric toothbrush is no different. Usually, all that is required to use an electric toothbrush is to merely depress a button to start the brushing cycle. Electric toothbrushes operate identically to manual toothbrushes with one major exception: the brush motion can provide thousands of strokes in one pass as opposed to a single stroke. This eliminates the need to use a "scrubbing" motion to clean your teeth as effectively; it's gentler on your gums and goes a long way towards brush heads lasting longer than manual toothbrushes.
Features
The primary purpose of an electric toothbrush is to provide thorough cleaning for your teeth, and there are certain features that help you do that more effectively. Dentists recommend brushing your teeth for at least 2 minutes, and many electric toothbrush models feature a timer to help you adhere to that recommendation. Some will alert you every thirty seconds to move on to a new quadrant of your mouth.
Some of the pricier, higher-end electric toothbrushes on the market come loaded with convenience features and even real-time information display apps. Built-in pressure sensors can alert you when you're pressing too hard while brushing, thereby reducing the risk of inflaming or damaging your gums. More advanced models can pair with your smartphone via Bluetooth, and will keep track of individual teeth and how long you've spent cleaning each one.
Price & Value
It should come as no surprise that an electric toothbrush typically costs more than a standard toothbrush, but they're well worth the added expense. The best electric toothbrush models offer vastly superior cleaning performance when compared to regular brushes, and can clean between teeth with more effectiveness than a standard brush ever can. Also, the brush heads of electric toothbrushes tend to last quite a bit longer than manual brushes, which can spread out the costs of using an electric toothbrush.
Expect to pay anywhere from $75 to $150 for a top-quality electric toothbrush, but inexpensive electric toothbrushes that still perform relatively well can also be found.