WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING AN ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH?
Taking care of your oral health is necessary for personal health care. And for good dental health, you should brush twice a day for at least two minutes. Electric toothbrushes are your best bet to having good dental health. Electric toothbrushes have in-built timers and sensors. This feature ensures you are brushing for the required amount of time. It also makes sure that you are applying the right amount of pressure.
What should you look for when buying an electric toothbrush?
If you are starting with an electric toothbrush, each person’s preference is of importance. But these are the things to look for before getting one:
- Size
Electric toothbrushes come in different shapes and sizes. Squared-shaped toothbrush heads tend to be bigger than round-shaped toothbrush heads. When getting an electric brush, choose a toothbrush that will reach the corners of your mouth.
The standard size for an adult toothbrush is an inch in height and half an inch in width. If it is smaller than this, the brush will have fewer bristles.
The toothbrush handle should be long enough for you to hold, but not too long to hinder effective brushing.
- Battery life and Endurance
It takes 3 hours for a full charge of an electric toothbrush, and it should last for at least 12hours. If you travel a lot, you should get one that can last 16-18 hours without charging.
Overcharging your electric toothbrush will wear down the battery; this is why it is necessary to get a toothbrush with long battery life. You can then charge once a week and change the battery once every six months.
Electric toothbrushes can have either a removable battery or an in-built battery. If it has a removable battery, you can remove the battery and charge it. They are less costly, but it requires that you get rechargeable batteries.
Electric toothbrushes with in-built batteries charge by inductive charging (wireless charging). They come with a charging base and do not have direct contact with electricity. The charging base is small, so you should remember to pack it if you are going for a long time.
- Toothbrush type
There are different electric toothbrush types based on their mode of movement. The two primary types are oscillating and ultrasonic. An oscillating toothbrush moves back and forth, which helps in removing the plaque. An ultrasonic toothbrush produces a high-frequency vibration. The high-frequency vibration gets rid of debris and food remnants in the mouth.
With an oscillating toothbrush, you will have to brush each tooth one after the other. But an ultrasonic brush covers more surface area.
Getting an electric toothbrush should not change the texture you are comfortable using. Look out for the bristle texture that makes your mouth feel fresh and well-brushed. But, brushes with too-hard bristles are ill-advised as they can cause damage to the gum and the enamel.
- Rotate speed
The higher the rotational speed of a toothbrush, the more brushing motion it makes. An electric toothbrush with a high rotating speed will help get rid of the plaque in your teeth. Rotating toothbrushes have round brush heads which envelop the tooth when brushing. At a higher rotation, the brushed hair moves down the gums.
- Toothbrush Features
Most electric toothbrushes have in-built timers that last 2 minutes per brushing session. It is necessary to check if the electric toothbrush you are getting has this feature. You might get bored while brushing and you end up not using two minutes to brush your teeth. Then, get a toothbrush with a timer for each mouth section (upper left, lower left, upper right, lower left). It gives 30 seconds to each quadrant and makes the tie seem shorter.
If you have sensitive gums or cavities, you should look at the pressure sensor feature. The pressure sensor notifies you when you apply too much pressure brushing. The notification will prevent further damage to your teeth and gums.
The Smart feature is one of the last things to look out for in an electric toothbrush. Some electric toothbrushes have Bluetooth features that can connect to your smartphone. You can track your brushing activities with your smartphone. Some dental hygiene problems might need you to be accountable. Look out for the Smart feature to track your oral health activities.
- Policies
The American Dental Association (ADA) test oral health product to know if they are fit and safe for use; they also check to see if it will remove plaque. Check the ADA website to be sure that you are getting a laboratory-tested toothbrush.
Some companies offer to refund if you are uncomfortable with their product. If you have had problems getting the right electric toothbrush for you, look out for this.
What to look for when you are getting an electric toothbrush for children
Picking out toothbrushes for children is a chore. It is necessary to go for one safe to even use without supervision. You can also get a toothbrush that your child will be enthusiastic about brushing twice a day. Use this guide to know the right electric toothbrush to buy for children:
- Some toothbrushes come with images of heroes and movie characters. Children will be more enthusiastic about brushing with this kind of toothbrush. So, check out for toothbrushes showing their favorite color or movie character.
- Some electric toothbrushes play music for the duration of brushing time. If your child complains of brushing for too long, get one of them.
- Pick a size suitable for your child. A toothbrush with a large head might choke while brushing. It might also not reach the corners of the child’s mouth.
- Pick a toothbrush with soft bristles. Any other bristle types might be too hard on the child’s gum.
- If your child is old enough to choose, take them along and let them make their choices. It will make brushing more enjoyable for them.
