A common question we are asked is whether there is a difference between using a manual toothbrush vs an electric toothbrush and how these also compare to a dental visit. So let’s dive in and see how they compare.
Benefits of Manual Toothbrushes:
Cost-effective:
The average manual toothbrush costs about $2-$3 and those are the premium brand manual brushes $5-$6 each. When you consider the health and hygiene benefits that a toothbrush can offer you, the low cost of a manual toothbrush almost becomes irrelevant.
Availability:
You can get a manual toothbrush at almost any grocery/convenience store, petrol station, dollar store, or pharmacy. Sometimes, events in life leave you unprepared, but you can at least count on finding a toothbrush to purchase in any nearby convenience store. In fact, if you’re staying in a motel or a hotel, you can even get them for free! If you’re on the road, you can simply pop into any convenience store and get them.
They also travel easily and don’t need to be charged to function, so you can use a manual toothbrush anywhere and at any time.
No charging or batteries required:
One of the obvious benefits of using manual toothbrushes is that they do not require batteries to function properly which saves you a lot of money. In addition, whether you’re on a train or on top of a mountain, you can count on a manual toothbrush to bring some freshness to your situation. As their batteries wear out, their effectiveness decreases as well. Try using an electric toothbrush with dead batteries, however, and you’ll quickly notice how inefficient they are without their power source.
Indeed, the appeal of using a manual toothbrush is its ease of use and being traveller-friendly and functioning properly whether or not you have a power source nearby.
Benefits of using Electric Toothbrushes:
Pain-free cleaning:
One of the main benefits of an electric toothbrush is that they do a lot of the work for you, with their powered rotation/vibration that helps to loosen plaque.
Electric toothbrushes can also be beneficial for people with mobility issues, arthritis or other conditions which limit dexterity. One of the most common misconceptions of using an electric toothbrush is that they may be rough on your teeth and gums.
In reality, however, the bristles on electric toothbrushes are strong enough to get the clean your teeth effectively but also soft enough to be comfortable to use. The range of variable speeds can also be helpful for people with sensitive teeth and gums, and some of the higher-range electric toothbrushes even have a warning light that acts as an alert if too much pressure is being applied.
Improved effectiveness:
If you want to prevent common oral conditions such as gingivitis and gum disease, an electric toothbrush is one of the best tools to achieve a healthy oral hygiene.
Studies have shown that when both manual and electric toothbrushes when pitted against each other, the powered versions actually surpassed manual toothbrushes for overall effectiveness in the same timeframe.
Some electric toothbrushes have timers or even come with apps to ensure you spend enough time on different parts of your teeth and detect your common brushing areas so you can see which areas need improvement.
Kid-friendly:
Let’s face it, getting your kids to brush their teeth can be a nightmare especially after a long day and you just want to put them to sleep. Adding a cool little vibrating motor goes a long way into motivating your kids to brush their teeth before getting ready to go to school or a friend’s house.
Children especially benefit from the use of an electric toothbrush when they don’t have the technique to brush with a normal brush. Check out the video below by Dr. Christopher Chan on brushing and flossing kids teeth.
Note: With both manual and electric toothbrushes, you should look to change your toothbrush or brush head every three months.
Tooth Brushing vs a Dentist Clean
Why you need regular check-ups with your dentist.
Whether you prefer a manual or electric toothbrush to maintain your oral hygiene and healthy teeth, they cannot compete with the preparation and thoroughness that a professional dentist can provide. Their specialised tools allow them to get into the small corners of your teeth and gums and clear any excess plaque.
In addition, their dental training and experience allows them to detect tell-tale signs of trouble well before they materialise and their prescribed treatments can actually help save you money over the long term.
No toothbrush and constant brushing is going to help get you out of trouble if you have developed serious gum disease or deep dental issue over time.
When it comes to maintaining healthy teeth and fresh oral health, prevention is the best weapon against any potential disease or infection. This is why studies have shown that visiting your dentist once or twice a year in combination with healthy brushing habits can go along way to your maintaining a great-looking smile and healthy oral hygiene.
It’s known that maintaining a healthy gum line and a Hollywood-esque smile gives a person confidence to perform better in all areas of life.
By simply developing a healthy habit to brush your teeth on a regular basis, and schedule a visit with your local dentist once or twice a year can help extend the longevity of your excellent smile while helping to mitigate more potential oral health problems in the future.
Give Enamel Dental Studio a call today for a quick dental evaluation and clean for you and your whole family. Call us on 07 3841 6641 or email [email protected].