Dentist says I should get an electric toothbrush. Should I? Which one?

[sheoaouhra]

I've never had one before. I've never seen the point. Now I am advised to get one, but is it really any better than manual? and also there is so much choice! I don't need one that flashes and beeps - what do I need?

Any advice gratefully recieved

I have a Suri - love it. Completely faff free and you only need to charge it every 3 months (!) or so!

They are much better than a manual. Get one of the oral b ones with a circular brush head (the cross action one is the best) as they brush around the tooth better than some of the trendy ones with oval heads.

OP I resisted electric for years but all the research says they are more effective, and actually you can feel that when you try one.

Oral B with circular head - Got mine in Jan sales, about £30 in Superdrug.

I still have a manual as well, so I alternate between the two.

We all have oral B circular ones. Not expensive ones. I definitely feel they clean better than a manual one.

Most dentists recommend Oral B.

I've always got on best with Oral B, the midrange fancy ones (usually on offer for half price every three months) - it's just so much easier to make sure I've covered all the backs and tighter spaces in a short period of time.

Meant that (thanks to a lot of medication that harms oral health and a massive gap in accessing an NHS dentist at all meaning I was expecting far worse/more costly) my most recent check was 'nothing to worry about, we'll just book you in for the hygienist'.

I have this one which is on a really good deal at the min - usually £220 and now £70

amzn.eu/d/2OYWlwy

Go for a spotlight one designed by dentists but you can nearly always get 40% or more off. Sign up for their emails

Yes definitely better. Oral B IO

Another one with an Oral B, have had them for last 15 years and since I started using them have had a lot less trouble with my teeth

@sheoaouhra

OP a £20 oral b is fine

@buffyslayer £220? Does it have a computer? 😂

sorry I have to link this
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V39qPwKpcGg

Try those plaque disclosing tablets that turn your mouth pink and you should see a difference. 😁

Side benefit is that you use much less toothpaste!

Controversially I think manual ones can be better! I had terrible bleeding gums for years with my electric, switched back to manual and the problem sorted itself. My theory is that manual brushing creates more “foam” which then gets in between my teeth (my teeth are very close together).

Thank you all, I have ordered an oral b

Just hijacking as I've been wondering the same thing, I have a condition which makes my hands weak and am struggling with a manual toothbrush.

Back in the day when I last had an electric toothbrush the sonicare ones were all the rage - are these not the best anymore? Everyone on here is saying Oral B. To be fair the sonicare I had broke and was quite expensive, but I do think it made a difference.

I've found quite a cheap oral b on amazon, half price right now

I have a sonic one.

I've had them for decades as I have arthritis.

Get one with a timer so you can get the full 2 mins brushing.

Get your dentist to show you how to use it. You don't do much actual brushing you position the brush and it does the work for you.

i have just got one but it does take time, is it meant to be 10 seconds per tooth?

Yes they are better

Recent clinical research shows that the Philips Sonicare is markedly better at reversing gum disease compared with oral B. If you Google you should find this

They’re all fine, doesn’t have to be expensive. Ours are generally reduced to £40 ish.
We all have variations on Oral B Pro ones. There are tons of unnecessary things that make them expensive but the features I would make sure they have are:

Pressure sensor that lights up if you are pressing too hard (this is a risk that dentists warn of but it’s easily avoided with the sensor and nearly all come with it.)
Timer buzz thing that buzzes once every 30 seconds. (Sometimes called “quadrant timer”) (This means for a 2 min brush, you can spend 30 seconds on each of top front of teeth, top back, bottom front and bottom back)
I don’t find multiple cleaning modes to be particularly useful

You can buy replacement heads in bulk online as they’re pretty pricey. Look out for them on offer or on amazon so you can stock up.

I've got a sonicare and it's fantastic.

I've also just started using a water pik as we had to get one because dd got braces and my god! It's the best thing ever. I bloody love it!

My dentist always advises me to get one but my teeth are absolutely fine. No plaque, no holes, no fillings, no cracks, healthy gums etc.
I'm quite happy with my manual brush

Dentist here. Sonicare is the best one. It removes more biofilm.