Brushing Teeth is an essential part of day-to-day grooming. The technology of cleaning teeth has evolved over the years from Chewable herb sticks, Manual toothbrushes, and now to Electric toothbrushes.
Electric Toothbrushes have been around since the 1950s; however, they aren’t yet as widespread as manual toothbrushes. Reason? There are a lot of individuals who still don’t know How to use an Electric Toothbrush? Or, even if one can figure out, people are skeptical whether an Electric Toothbrush is worth it or not.
Electric Toothbrush: Did you know?
Electric Toothbrush first came into light in 1954. It wasDr. Phillipe-Guy Woog who invented the first Electric Toothbrush in Switzerland. Initially, the Toothbrush could be only used with an outlet; however, gradually came battery-powered Toothbrushes.
Most modern Electric Toothbrushes are either rechargeable or utilize batteries for operation. Presently there are two types of Electric Toothbrushes: Electric and Sonic.
The Electric Toothbrush moves at 3000 to 7500 rotations per minute. Whereas a Sonic Toothbrush moves 30,000 to 40,000 strokes per minute. The oscillating-rotating brush movement basically replicates human hand movement but in an improved and effective way.
Electric Toothbrushes, thus, are slightly more helpful in keeping your teeth healthy than manual toothbrushes. According to theAmerican Dental Association, Electric Toothbrushes are more helpful for kids, elderlies, people with disabilities, and people with braces.
Now that we know that an electric/ powered toothbrush too can be effective let’s learn how to use it.
Step-by-Step Method Of Using An Electric Toothbrush With Toothpaste
Using an Electric or Powered Toothbrush isn’t rocket science, but for novices, it can be a little tricky.
What do you need:
Your Electric Toothbrush (Make sure it is recharged/ powered)
- Toothpaste
- Water
- And Floss
Once you have all these necessities in your hand, start brushing by following the method below:
- Take your Electric Toothbrush, wet it, and apply a pea-sized amount of your desirable Toothpaste.
- Now hold the Electric Toothbrush, put it into your mouth, and start brushing. The idea is to hold the Toothbrush at 45-degree angle.
- For each tooth, spend a couple of second ensuring both teeth and gum is well cleaned. To be precise, section your mouth into the top left, top right, bottom left, and bottom right sections. Start with one section and spend 30 sections on each one after the other. Brushing daily twice for 2 minutes each is enough if you are doing it in the right manner.
- Once done with teeth and gum, now move toward your tongue. Be gentle and move the brush on the front and back of your tongue.
- Now off the Electric Toothbrush andspit all the Toothpaste out of your mouth. Most Toothpaste contains Fluoride or other such active compounds that you are not meant to swallow. Therefore, it is important to spit out the Toothpaste and now swallow it every time you brush your teeth.
- Next, Floss your teeth to remove anything that is left stuck between your teeth. According to experts at theNational Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Flossing is an important part of dental care. A dentist can always tell with the first view at your teeth whether you Floss or not.
- Lastly, rinse your mouth using plain cold water, and you are good to go. You can also use an antiseptic mouthwash to promote your overall dental health. Also, do not forget to rinse your brush head and allow it to dry afterward.
Electric/ Powered Toothbrush Buying Guide
While buying an Electric or Powered Toothbrush, here are a few features you must look after:
Stroke Motion:
Electric Toothbrush with Rotating Stroke Motion is ideal for people with plaque problems. These toothbrushes produce thousands of strokes. Rotating stoke motion helps to reach hard gaps between teeth and also cleans the gum line for added protection.
Electric Toothbrush with Oscillating Stroke Motion moves back and forth and cleans plaque build-up from your teeth. Oscillating Electric Toothbrushes are gentle yet powerful and keep teeth free from tartar.
Electric Toothbrush that uses Pulsating technique to brush away plaque and tartar build-up from your teeth.
Some Electronic Toothbrush uses Ultrasonic frequency for cleaning your teeth. These toothbrushes are ideal for those who have just gone through a dental procedure or have sensitive gums. Electronic Toothbrushes with Ultrasonic frequency offer a very high speed of 5,000 strokes per minute as well as excellent vibration that aids in better cleaning. These toothbrushes, in addition, need a very little physical movement of users’ parts and are considered the most advance of them all.
Brush head:
Toothbrushes with Small heads in the Electric range are specially designed to cater to users of different age groups. Based on age, these brushes come in different sizes.
In addition to head size, Electric Toothbrushes also come in different bristle styles. Buyers can choose from sensitive, extra soft, soft, medium, and harsh bristle types.
Other special and useful features:
Cleaning Mode (Or Speed) in a few Electric Toothbrushes allows ease of cleaning uniquely. These modes can be Polishing Mode, Whitening Mode, Sensitivity setting, different speeds, multiple pressure, and so on.
Some Electric Toothbrushes come with a unique Tongue freshener feature. This feature helps clean and refresh your tongue gently and as effectively as bristles cannot.
Electric Toothbrushes also come with timers. While it is slightly tricky to figure out how much you have brushed your teeth with a manual toothbrush, it is easy with an Electric one.
Very few Powered Toothbrushes also come with a Pressure warning feature. These brushes have built-in sensors that allow the user to control the brushing pressure. If you are brushing too hard, these Electric Toothbrushes will either make a vibration or some noise to alert you. It also alerts you if you are brushing too slowly or lightly.
Tips For Maintaining Dental Health
- Brush your teeth for 2 minutes twice daily. Follow the routine once in the morning and once after having your dinner.
- Floss and use a medicated mouthwash along with your brushing routine.
- Consider using Fluoride toothpaste.
- Never avoid tongue cleaning.
- Do not chew tobacco or smoke. If you do, quit it right away.
- Limit alcoholic as well as soft drinks.
- Always report your dental problem to a professional. Do not rely on home remedies or over-the-counter medicines for long.
- Regardless of any dental problem, visit your dentist at least once or twice a year.
- Drink plenty of water (At room temperature).
- Avoid eating or drinking anything too hot or too cold.
- Brush after having non-vegetarian or anything fibrous in texture.
- Gargle well after every meal. If required, do dry brushing after meals to clean teeth.
- Limit sugary and acidic food items and increase crunchy food and vegetables in your diet.
Are Electric Toothbrushes worth investing in?
Electric Toothbrushes are worth the investment, and there is no doubt about that. People who regularly use Electric Toothbrush talks about improved dental health. A few studies show that toothbrushes are more effective in removing plaque than manual toothbrushes.
Electric Toothbrushes, however, are extremely expensive than a manual toothbrush. Given the major price difference, it isn’t a necessity to switch from a manual toothbrush to an electric one. It instead is simply a privilege to do so, and that’s completely a personal choice.
However, just in case you are new to using an Electric Toothbrush, the above guide will help you.
