A dentist weighs in on the pros and cons of using an electric toothbrush when cleaning your teeth.
When it comes to cleaning your teeth, manual brushing may not necessarily be the best wayânot especially if you don’t actually have good technique. And according to Dr Sam Koo, a dental surgeon at Q&M Dental Group’s Elias Mall and Bukit Batok Central clinics, an electric toothbrush can be of greater benefit.
“An electric toothbrush reduces the level of technique required for efficient tooth brushing as you only need to know where to place it, and for how long,” he says.
“Clinical studies have shown that, compared to a manual toothbrush, it does a better job at plaque removal and as such decreases the incidence of gum disease.”
That’s not all: an electric toothbrush can also prevent you from brushing your teeth too hard. Doing so may not sound like a huge deal, but Dr Koo points out that hard brushing not only wears down your teeth, which can lead to cavities and even toothache, but also the recession of your gums, which can result in sensitive and “long-looking” teeth.
(Also read: Survey Shows More Than Half of People Actually Brush Their Teeth Wrongly)
But this doesn’t mean you don’t have to be mindful when brushing your teeth with an electric toothbrush.
“An electric toothbrush can prevent you from brushing too hard as there is no real technique involved. However, it really depends on how hard you press the brush head against your teeth,” he explains.
He adds that an electric toothbrush also allows you to brush your teeth for an adequate duration as it usually comes with a timer function.
It should be noted that while the gadget can be pretty life-changing (literally), it can be quite pricey. But that shouldn’t stop you from investing in one because there aren’t any disadvantages to it.
“Besides the higher cost and the occasional need for charging, I’d say there are no real cons to an electric toothbrush,” he says.
(Also read: Here’s A Surprising Reason Why Your Teeth Are Yellow (And What To Do About It))
Planning to shop for one? Dr Koo recommends getting a small brush head with compact soft bristles (basically, there should be lesser gaps between them) as it allows for easier manoeuvring at the back of your mouth. He also suggests getting one with an oscillating motion for better results.
A version of this story first appeared on www.cleo.com.sg.
