ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH VS MANUAL: WHICH ONE IS BEST FOR DENTAL HYGIENE?

Oral hygiene is a preventive care practice that keeps your mouth clean and disease-free. As we know, prevention is better than cure, so it is necessary to avoid dental problems first rather than get treatment after encountering oral issues.

Mostly, oral issues are linked to our oral health and cause serious problems if they remain untreated for longer periods. By maintaining good oral hygiene, we can keep our teeth healthy and maintain their proper functionality.

Oral hygiene is a simple procedure that includes daily brushing, flossing, and visiting your dentist regularly to assess your oral condition and get professional dental cleanings.

However, regular brushing is the most important and basic component in maintaining oral hygiene and has numerous benefits, including:

• Regular brushing prevents gum disease and decay in the first place.
• Prevents extreme dental pain and sensitivity.
• Also helps to avoid various general health issues.

So, regular brushing proves to be a simple and effective way to prevent all oral issues. Moreover, the selection of the right kind of brush is also equally important. The two major types of brushes are manual and electric.

The electric and manual brushes give similar results, which are clean and disease-free teeth, but they have substantiated differences, and people choose them according to their preferences and convenience.  We can opt for several kinds of brushes according to our choices and dental needs. 

However, the most common brushes are electric and manual ones. Both of these brushes have similar output but different approaches. Manual brushes are considered to be a conventional and effective method that uses rigid floss against teeth to clean away bacteria and plaque. On the other hand, electric brushes clean the teeth in a rapid automatic back-and-forth or rotational bristle motions.

On average, the electric brushes can last for about 3 to 5 years if handled with care. However, the dentist suggests replacing them every 6 to 7 months. Manual brushes can last for almost a year, but they should be replaced every 3 to 4 months, according to the dentist’s recommendation.

The manual brushes have a very simple design; with them, people need to put more effort into brushing their teeth. On the other hand, electric brushes work more precisely, have an advanced design, provide convenience to the users, and are the best option for people with limited mobility. 

The cost difference between manual and electric brushes is huge. The manual brushes, on average, can cost you around $2 to $8, depending on their quality. Whereas the costs of electric brushes are around $20 to $200.

Electric brushes provide advanced preventive care and have multiple benefits, including superior plaque removal and visual pressure sensors.

Electric brushes are the safest and most suitable choice for people with limited mobility problems or who suffer from carpel tunnel syndrome, developmental disabilities, and arthritis. These brushes require less effort in plaque removal and provide different types of bristle motions. 

The eclectic brushes come with a built-in timer option to ensure that you are spending enough time brushing your teeth. Some models comprise advanced timers that chime every thirty minutes to remind you to change your bristle motion in another direction and move to the next section of the mouth.

The electric brushes are specially designed to clean hard-to-reach places and significantly remove more plaque than conventional brushes. The electric brushes remove more bacteria and clean deeply, lowering the risks of several gum diseases, including gingivitis.

The electric brushes have adjustable intensities that people can set according to their gum sensitivity. These brushes provide gentle and in-depth cleaning to people with comparatively more sensitive teeth.

• Higher costs
• Not easily accessible
• High maintenance

Although manual brushes have a simple structure, still the majority of people use them, and they comprise numerous advantages, including:

The manual brushes have no inbuilt mechanism, are highly cost-effective, and everyone can easily afford them. Moreover, manual brushes allow speed control and enable the users to adjust the pressure according to their teeth’ sensitivity.

Manual toothbrushes are easily accessible; you can get them at any grocery store, gas station, or pharmacy. Moreover, manual brushes do not require any charging and can be used anywhere at any time.

Manual brushes have an unlimited range of variations and are highly customizable. These brushes are available in extensive shapes, sizes, colours, the extent of bristle stiffness, and grips. Some brushes also come with a tongue cleaner on the back for improved oral care.

Manual brushes can be easily maintained as they are light in weight and almost unbreakable. Moreover, these brushes exert relatively less pressure on your gums, and you can easily travel with them as they do not need any batteries.

• Gum abrasion
• No timers
• Difficulty in usage for disabled people and children
• Sometimes manual brushes cause sensitivity issues

Both brush types have pros and cons, and people choose them depending on their convenience, requirements, and affordability. However, a study has shown that electric brushes provide a deeper cleaning mechanism, efficaciously remove plaque build-up and prevent various oral diseases but require high maintenance like charging after regular intervals. The manual brushes do not provide in-depth cleaning, but they are easy to use and do not need any batteries.