How to Buy the Best Electric Toothbrush at the Best Price
A majority of dental problems, such as tooth decay, cavities, gum disease and bad breath can be prevented by simple, home oral care. Unfortunately most of us don't do a very good job of it. Using an electric toothbrush can alleviate many of the mistakes we make when brushing our teeth, from applying too much pressure, or just not brushing long enough. Here are some things to look for to get the best electric toothbrush for yourself and your family.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
-
-
1
The most important thing to decide is if you want a standard electric toothbrush a sonic electric toothbrush, such as the Sonicair. The bristles on a standard electric toothbrush oscillate at about 7500 rpm, whereas on a sonic toothbrush it's around 30,000 rpm. The most significant difference however is the sonic toothbrush causes the fluids around the teeth to oscillate as well, causing a cleaning action up to 1/8th of an inch away from the bristles, this allows a sonic electric toothbrush to clean between teeth and below the gum line. Keep in mind though that a sonic electric toothbrush is quite expensive.
-
2
After deciding on the type of electric toothbrush you need to look at the features. On the basic level all electric toothbrushes have rotating, or another type of high speed brush movement, and that's all you basically need. The additional 'bells and whistles' however can assist you in proper brushing technique. The first feature is a timer, the ADA (American Dental Association) recommends a person brush for at least two minutes. Some electric toothbrushes have built in timers, either total time of 2-3 minutes, or a signal every 30 seconds to let you know to move to the next quadrant of your mouth. This is a great feature to have if you never brush long enough.
-
3
The next feature is a power setting. This isn't terribly necessary as obviously the most effective setting is at full power. The lower settings are for when people first start using an electric toothbrush and need to get used to it. This is good to have if children are going to use it as they are more sensitive to the vibrations of the unit.
-
4
Another thing to consider is having multiple brush sizes to choose from. Again, not terribly important but it's nice to have smaller brushes for children or for people with braces.
-
5
If more than one person is going to use the electric toothbrush then having easily identifiable brush heads is important, make sure they are color coded or otherwise easy to identify.
-
6
Make sure that the brush heads are easily replaceable. They wear out in 3 -6 months and will need to be replaced, make sure you can order or buy new ones easily.
-
7
A nice feature to have is a pressure alarm or auto shutoff. People tend to brush too hard and this wears the enamel right off your teeth. Make sure the electric toothbrush you are interested in either turns off or sounds an alarm if you apply too much pressure.
-
8
Consider the size of the base. A larger base may be desirable if you need to store many brush heads on it. A smaller one may be better if space is limited or if you will use the electric toothbrush when you travel.
-
9
And finally make sure the electric toothbrush has a good warranty and is from a reputable company. As this device is both electronic and mechanical it can break down unexpectedly.
-
1
