Manual or electric toothbrush?

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badatmath

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My first dentist visit without insurance found no issues . . . but I use the free manual toothbrush they give me every visit. . . I seem to remember trying electric sometime back but I do not recall if I didn't like it or it broke or what.

By coincidence neighbor came by after words and told me about her big dental bill and now I'm thinking hmm. . . maybe there is a hack I should be hacking here.

Anyone feel like they have taken actually improved their teeth?
 
I did decide to try timing myself next time to see how close I come to 2 minutes of brushing. I'd guess not very.
 
Electric (e.g., Oral B rotating brush) makes a huge difference. I wish my dentists had convinced me to get one decades earlier. Don't worry about the two-minute signal; just take as long as necessary.
 
DW got me an electric a couple/few years ago. Between the comments from the hygienist and having less tenderness after cleanings, I'm sold on it. It's the Phillips sonicare. I stick with the 2 minute timer, but sadly only once a day...
 
Another vote for electric. I've gone through 3 over the past 15 years and each has been an Oral-B. I really like 4-quadrant 30s per section (2 minute) timer. It does a much better job than I ever did with a manual brush.
 
Always used manual. Consider electric from time to time but I'll be gosh dang'd if I can see where the magic is. Nothing on your teeth requires industrial strength removal. Bit of food and slight bio-film. The brush goes up-down-back-forth. I'm already doing that. Not at 9,000 rpms but I don't think it takes that much.
 
I've been using an electric for (SoniCare) 6-7 years now. I change the brush head no later than every 3-mos. I've had no cavities since but I have needed a crown or two. I also floss and use dental picks. Wife uses traditional brush amd floss and has had a cavity or two over the last couple of decades.
 
Both. Manual for most but I like to use my electric a few times a week.
 
Electric (sonicare). Makes a Huuuge difference. I rarely get any 3s when they do that horrible gum pocket test anymore. I'm no model of exceptional dental hygiene either; I floss only a couple times a week and I don't use those gum picks either. At first the electric tickled my mouth but you get used to it pretty quickly. Now I just sit that electric on the gums for 2 minutes morning and evening and it works great. With an electric, you're not supposed to move up and down rapidly like you would with manual. The vibration does that work for you; only much better. I would never go back to manual.
 
DW asked whether we should be using electric. So for her BD I attached an old AC cord to a new Oral B tooth brush and gave it to her with a nice card.

40 years ago, she had glued a similar cord to a kid's plastic pencil sharpener and gave it to her office manager when he asked for an electric pencil sharpener for the family business.



Maybe you had to be there. :cool:
 
They never scold me at the dentist usually say looks good . . . but I do grind the **** out of my teeth. Yes I have a guard. No I never use it. . . I know. /Sigh. Still the thought of how much keeping these teeth could cost without insurance over the rest of my life well . . .

Cavities aren't a big worry more crowns/root canals/etc.
 
Manual by day, electric by night. I am right handed and have a tough time doing the back side of the teeth on my right side.

I am a grinder. I got a new 3D printed soft night guard, they are thicker though. I also just got an implant, and want to avoid future dental work due to grinding. So I am seeking to build a habit of wearing it nightly.
 
fosterscik said:
Another vote for electric. I've gone through 3 over the past 15 years and each has been an Oral-B. I really like 4-quadrant 30s per section (2 minute) timer. It does a much better job than I ever did with a manual brush.
Click to expand...
My experience as well. The electric provided discipline. But I think understated here is flossing. I am a twice a day brusher and once a day flosser, I expect flossing has also benefited my very good checkups.

In my research floss and interdental brushes are alternative flossing approaches. The choice could come down to distance between your teeth. I have both on hand.
 
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^^^^This^^^^

If you think of a tooth as a cube, a toothbrush (manual or electric) reaches three of five exposed surfaces. Where the teeth abut, floss or other another cleaning device is needed to clean the remaining 40% of the tooth.🦷

When I was in dental school (back when the world was young) we were taught that either electric or manual toothbrushes, used properly , can get the job done. In my working days I didn’t encourage one over the other, just whichever is comfortable and works in the person’s hands.
 
Oral-B electric here for over 10 years, makes a BIG difference, your future self will be glad you did. Make sure you change the brushes every 3 or so months too.

You didn’t ask but I recently bought a Waterpik water flosser too. It’s way more effective than dental floss for most people, and if you use warm water it feels good to use it - so I’m not having any trouble using it.

I am sure you can be effective using a manual brush and dental floss, but it’s much easier and more likely most people will do much better with an electric toothbrush and water flosser. However, I think dentists recommend dental floss and a water flosser.
 
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Used to use Oral B toothbrushes but absolute hate the new style. The handle is almost round and hard to get a grip on, don't like the tapered head. So I've been buying Reach toothbrushes from Amazon. It's almost an identical copy of the old style Oral B's. And much cheaper!
 
I tried electric a time or two in my life. I didn’t stick with them so I must not have liked them, so I’ve been brushing and flossing manually all my life. No cavities in over 40 years. I still have every tooth, except my wisdom teeth. I don’t see any need to try anything new. “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”
 
I've used an electric brush for probably 10 years now and love them. Not all are built alike. You will find they have different levels of vibration/brushing between manufacturers (and probably even models). Prior to my current WaterPik, I was a Sonicare user. I had grown used to the force with which that brand handled my teeth. I was somewhat surprised when I got my new WaterPik last month and found that it was far less forceful with its vibrations on my teeth. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. I think I prefer the Sonicare.

When I first started using an electric brush, at my first checkup and cleaning, the hygienist pointed out that it looked like I was doing a better job in cleaning my teeth (without me telling her about my change). So it was a noticeable change to them.
 
Just bought my 3rd Oral B in probably 15 years and like the new movement better (more aggressive). Also tried a new paste and it was as big a change as the new brush. Crest 3DWhite seems to have more "grit" & mint...

Went back to DW's paste and feel like 10% of the grit & less mint.
 
Manual in the morning, electric before bed. I always do the full two minutes.
 
Sonicare twice a day for at least 2 minutes, floss once a day. I did not take care of my teeth in childhood or as a young adult. I really wish that I had.
 
Midpack said:
Oral-B electric here for over 10 years, makes a BIG difference, your future self will be glad you did. Make sure you change the brushes every 3 or so months too.

You didn’t ask but I recently bought a Waterpik water flosser too. It’s way more effective than dental floss for most people, and if you use warm water it feels good to use it - so I’m not having any trouble using it.

I am sure you can be effective using a manual brush and dental floss, but it’s much easier and more likely most people will do much better with an electric toothbrush and water flosser. However, I think dentists recommend dental floss and a water flosser.
Click to expand...
Same here. Pre-rinse and 1 minute Oral B electric brushing in morning. 2 minute Oral B brushing and 1 minute waterpik use before bed.
 
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