Buying a Toothbrush
Notes
Reviews on Oral B vs Sonicare are pretty divided
You don’t necessarily need to switch from a manual toothbrush to an electric toothbrush if your dentist says you’re doing a fine job with your current setup. But an electric brush can help some people do a better job removing plaque (source)
There is some research that indicates powered brushes might do a slightly better job of cleaning away plaque and warding off gingivitis and gum disease (source)
Replace your brush or brush head every three or four months, whenever your bristles start to splay (source)
One key thing to look for when purchasing any brush, manual or electric, is the American Dental Association (ADA) seal of acceptance (source)
The cheapest (electric) models didn't remove plaque as well as moderate-to-expensive models, but amongst the better performing brushes, spending more didn't necessarily improve cleaning performance (source)
Choose a brush with soft bristles, which are gentler on the gums and may clean better because they're more flexible (source)
How to floss: Break off about 18 inches of floss and wind most of it around a finger; wind the rest around the same finger on your other hand. Use a careful sawing motion to slide the floss between your teeth down or up to the gum line; then gently move the thread slightly under the gums. Next, curve it into a "C" shape against the side of one tooth and sweep it up and down. Repeat for both sides of each tooth, unwinding clean floss from the first hand. (source)
Chris Strandburg, DDS, dentist and Waterpik spokesperson, avoids any electric toothbrush that doesn’t have oscillating motion. (source)
Some important settings include a self-timer, a pressure sensor, and a range of cleaning modes (source)
Electric toothbrushes are more affordable than they used to be, but Morris doesn’t recommend spending less than $50. “The quality will be poor and it won’t last,” he says. (source)
There isn’t a proven difference in effectiveness between faster and slower brush movements in existing independent research. (source)
Cleaning modes don’t matter, according to experts we spoke to and research we’ve seen. The only one that might help is “sensitive mode” for people who find the brush’s normal oscillations too jarring. (source)
Oral-B’s brushes are also, on average, less expensive than replacement heads for other brushes. (source)
Oral-B models use rotation and pulsation, so its brushes don’t buzz as intensely when the brush’s head touches your other teeth. All Sonicares vibrate at the same (high) frequency and produce a more jarring sensation when the back of the brush collides with other teeth. (source)
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