What is the difference between electric toothbrushes that are 100 times more expensive? The key is to look at this parameter

Electric toothbrushes are now very common. When people talk about toothbrushes, the first thing that comes to mind is electric toothbrushes. There are a wide variety of electric toothbrushes on the market, and the prices vary greatly, ranging from a dozen yuan to five or six thousand yuan.

Do electric toothbrushes really clean better than manual toothbrushes? Are the functions of electric toothbrushes, which differ by nearly 100 times in price, really that different? What parameters should you focus on when choosing an electric toothbrush? Today we will take a look at electric toothbrushes.

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From special groups to the general public

As early as 1937, Tomlinson Moseley had designed and produced the first electric toothbrush. The original intention of designing this toothbrush was very simple, which was to use an electric motor to replace the movements of human hands.

Design diagram of the first electric toothbrush, Image source: Reference 1

The earliest electric toothbrush. Image source: Wikipedia

In 1954, Philippe Guy Woog of Switzerland also invented his own electric toothbrush. In 1960, Edward Robinson Squibb of the United States also began to launch electric toothbrushes in the United States.

The electric toothbrush invented by Philip Guy Woog, Image source: Reference 2

When these electric toothbrushes were first introduced, they were mainly used by people with limited mobility and those undergoing orthodontic treatment. They were much bulkier than today's electric toothbrushes and were corded.

In the 1960s, cordless electric toothbrushes began to appear. In order to be waterproof, the early electric toothbrushes also directly encapsulated the battery inside, leaving only a small hole for charging, which is very similar to today's electric toothbrushes.

However, the rechargeable battery technology at that time was far inferior to that of today, and the lifespan was relatively short. If the battery was damaged, the electric toothbrush would not work. Therefore, electric toothbrushes at that time were not economical and were not popular. After decades of development and updates, they gradually entered the public eye. Electric toothbrushes became popular in our country relatively late, only in the last twenty years.

Electric toothbrush vs manual toothbrush

Who is better?

There are many papers comparing the cleaning effects of electric toothbrushes and manual toothbrushes, and the conclusions are different. However, if conditions permit, it is recommended to use an electric toothbrush.

The cleaning effect of manual toothbrushes varies from person to person. If you brush your teeth in the correct way, they can have very good results, no worse than electric toothbrushes, but the premise of "correct brushing method" is not easy to achieve.

According to the recommendations of the National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom and the Canadian Dental Association (CDA), there are probably several key points for the correct way to brush your teeth:

1. The time for brushing your teeth should not be too short, preferably not less than 2 minutes.

2. It is best to choose a small brush head for your toothbrush.

3. When brushing your teeth, the bristles of the toothbrush should not be perpendicular to the teeth. Instead, they should be at a 45-degree angle to the tooth surface, facing the gum line where the teeth and gums meet (see the picture below).

The toothbrush head is at a 45-degree angle to the tooth surface. Image source: Reference 4

4. When brushing, do not use force back and forth like brushing shoes or a toilet. Instead, use circles to clean the surface of the teeth. Brush the inner and outer surfaces of the teeth as well as the chewing surface.

5. The Canadian Dental Association also recommends that you change the way you brush your teeth from time to time to clean areas that are often "missed".

Seeing these strict restrictions, you must have realized that most people do not follow these points when brushing their teeth, so it is difficult to achieve the best cleaning effect with a manual toothbrush.

Of course, an electric toothbrush cannot completely make up for these shortcomings, but at least it can improve the effect of brushing teeth in several aspects.

First of all, most electric toothbrushes have small brush heads, which can reach deeper into the teeth to clean them. Secondly, most electric toothbrushes on the market now have a timer function, which will not stop until you have brushed for two minutes. During this time, you have to move the electric toothbrush back and forth, "forcing" yourself to clean more areas. In addition, the price of electric toothbrushes is very cheap now, so if you have the conditions, it is recommended that you use an electric toothbrush.

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Are more expensive electric toothbrushes better?

Pay special attention to this parameter when purchasing

The price of electric toothbrushes on the market can vary by hundreds of times. The various functions on the merchant's promotional pages are dazzling. How should we choose? What is certain is that the more expensive the electric toothbrush, the better. Some expensive electric toothbrushes have additional functions that are not practical for most people.

For example, some electric toothbrushes claim to have more than a dozen different gear modes, but for most people, they may never press any buttons other than the switch, so having two modes is too much. Some electric toothbrushes have extremely exquisite display screens, but such functions have little to do with cleaning teeth.

When choosing an electric toothbrush, if you only look at one parameter, it is recommended to look at the vibration mode.

There are two main vibration modes of electric toothbrushes on the market now, one is sonic vibration and the other is rotational vibration. Sonic vibration is to vibrate back and forth quickly in a certain direction, just like we brush our teeth up and down with our hands. Rotational vibration means that the brush head of the toothbrush not only moves back and forth in a single dimension, but also moves in another dimension, which can be understood as moving up and down, left and right at the same time. This movement mode actually simulates the action of circular cleaning.

A study published in 2023 examined the effectiveness of manual toothbrushes, sonic toothbrushes, and rotary vibrating toothbrushes in relieving gum bleeding and removing plaque.

Studies have shown that in terms of improving gingival bleeding, after using sonic vibration and rotary vibration electric toothbrushes for a period of time, the number of gingival bleeding sites in the subjects was less than that of using a manual toothbrush, and the improvement effect of the rotary vibration toothbrush was better than that of the sonic vibration type.

The number of gingival bleeding sites, red for manual toothbrush, green for sonic vibration electric toothbrush, and blue for rotary vibration electric toothbrush. Image source: Reference 5

When it comes to cleaning dental plaque, both types of electric toothbrushes with different vibration modes are better than manual toothbrushes. In comparison, the rotary vibration electric toothbrush is better at cleaning dental plaque than the sonic vibration type.

The researchers of this study also speculated that in addition to the oscillation method, the design of the rotary vibration toothbrush head may also play an important role. Generally, the brush head of a rotary vibration toothbrush is designed to be smaller, and the contour fits the tooth surface more closely. In comparison, most sonic vibration toothbrush heads still use the shape of traditional toothbrush heads.

Therefore, when purchasing an electric toothbrush, it is recommended to choose one with rotation and vibration function.

It should be noted here that ultrasonic vibration is a special type of sound wave vibration. It can vibrate at a frequency of more than 20,000 times per second. The frequency of some electric toothbrushes can even reach the megahertz level (millions of times per second). Such a fast vibration frequency can produce rapidly shaking water flow and small bubbles on the surface of teeth, which may help clean dirt and plaque on the surface of teeth.

However, whether ultrasonic vibration can have a better cleaning effect than ordinary sound wave vibration is still controversial, so rotary vibration is still recommended. If you want to choose an ultrasonic vibration toothbrush, you must pay attention to distinguish that only those that vibrate more than 20,000 times per second are considered ultrasonic vibration (some merchants will mark the unit as XXX times/minute, so be careful to identify).

The unit of vibration frequency in the picture is times/minute, so be careful to distinguish. The picture is taken from the Internet

In addition to the vibration mode, there are some other practical functions of electric toothbrushes, such as pressure sensors and partition reminders.

Pressure sensor: Some toothbrushes have built-in pressure sensors that can sense the pressure between the brush head and the teeth, and give reminders when the force is too strong or too light. This function is necessary. After all, brushing too hard may cause bleeding gums.

Partition reminder: Most electric toothbrushes sold on the market now have a timer function, but not all of them have a partition reminder function that pauses for a short time every 30 seconds. In case you lose focus while brushing your teeth, this function can remind you to change the area to prevent you from only brushing a small area of ​​teeth in two minutes.

Of course, whether it is rotational vibration, pressure sensor, or partition reminder, they are not "expensive features" and can be found in electric toothbrushes costing one or two hundred yuan. Just be careful to distinguish them when choosing.

In addition, the various functions of the electric toothbrush can be purchased according to your needs, such as mirroring the screen, connecting to mobile phone apps, etc. In addition to the electric toothbrush itself, you also need to pay attention when purchasing the brush head. Try to choose replacement brush heads from regular manufacturers, and don't be greedy for cheapness. The brush heads produced by informal manufacturers may have insufficient roundness of the bristles, which is easy to wear teeth. In addition, if the brush head and the body of the electric toothbrush cannot fit completely, it will also affect the vibration effect of the brush head, so you can't take it lightly on the brush head.

References

[1] Patent US2196667A

[2]NgC,TsoiJKH,LoECM,etal.Safetyanddesignaspectsofpoweredtoothbrush—Anarrativereview[J].Dentistryjournal,2020,8(1):15.

[3]https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-teeth-and-gums/how-to-keep-your-teeth-clean/

[4]https://www.cda-adc.ca/en/oral_health/cfyt/dental_care/flossing_brushing.asp

[5]ZouY,GrenderJ,AdamR,etal.Ameta-analysis comparing toothbrush technologiesongingivitisandplaque[J].internationaldentaljournal,2024,74(1):146-156.

[6]VibhuteA,VandanaKL.Theeffectivenessofmanualversuspoweredtoothbrushesforplaqueremovalandgingivalhealth:Ameta-analysis[J].JournalofIndiansocietyofperiodontology,2012,16(2):156-160.

Planning and production

Author: Science Scraps Popular Science Creator

Review丨Shi Xiaojun, deputy chief physician, Shanghai Fifth People's Hospital