Electric Toothbrush vs Manual Toothbrush

The fight for better oral health begins with a strict brushing schedule. Everyone should brush their teeth twice a day; once in the evening before bed, and once at another time earlier in the day. Consequently, you need the right tools to ensure you remove plaque and reduce the chances of tooth decay. This brings us to the topic of an electric toothbrush vs a manual toothbrush. Both can be used alongside toothpaste to brush your teeth, but how do they differ? 

In today’s guide, we will go over both devices to see how they compare, and to conclude if it’s worth buying an electric toothbrush instead of a manual one. 

How does an electric toothbrush work?

A manual toothbrush has no moving components and isn’t powered by anything. It’s simply a plastic or wooden handle, with a head that contains a series of bristles. You use the bristles to brush your teeth, removing plaque and other debris from your mouth. 

By contrast, electric toothbrushes have a power source. Depending on your toothbrush, it can be powered by a rechargeable or removable battery. When turned on, this battery will make the toothbrush vibrate, generating more power when brushing. It means that you can simply touch your teeth with the head, and it will scrub away everything in sight. 

What are the benefits of an electric toothbrush vs a manual toothbrush?

There is a significant difference in how the two toothbrushes work, but what are the benefits of opting for an electric one over a manual one? 

Improved cleaning effectiveness

There have been numerous studies that support the theory that electric toothbrushes are better at cleaning your teeth than manual ones. One piece of research took 11 years to complete and concluded that people who use an electric toothbrush have healthier gums, less tooth decay, and keep their teeth for longer. 

Why is this the case?

Essentially, it’s mainly down to the added power you get from an electric toothbrush. It can remove plaque a lot easier than using a manual toothbrush where you might not brush hard enough in some places. Additionally, some electric toothbrushes come with heads that spin around really fast, which helps to get plaque between teeth and near the gum line, further improving oral health. 

Tooth brushing aids includedEven the most basic electric toothbrushes will come with a built-in timer to let you know how long you’ve been brushing. Every 30 seconds, an alert will go off, ensuring that you always brush your teeth for the full 2 minutes. A big problem with manual toothbrushing is that people don’t time themselves, so they guess how long they’ve been brushing for and can often brush for less than two minutes. 

Also, there’s a tendency to brush for longer in some areas of the mouth than others. The benefit of the electric toothbrush timer is that it splits your routine into 4 parts. This means you can brush each quadrant of your mouth for 30 seconds at a time, making it less likely you’ll neglect certain teeth. 

The timer isn’t the only aid that comes with electric toothbrushes. Some of the more advanced ones can provide the following: 

• 
  Alerts or warnings when you are brushing too hard, ensuring you protect your gums
• Partner apps that teach you how to brush more effectively
• Different settings to help you increase or decrease the vibrations

Better for people with mobility issues

An underrated benefit of the electric toothbrush vs manual toothbrush is that electric ones are better for people with mobility issues. Elderly people, people with disabilities, or individuals suffering from carpal tunnel or arthritis may struggle to brush their teeth with a manual toothbrush. The effort required could be too much, meaning they either avoid doing it or do it poorly. Either way, this impacts their oral health and can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. 

Because an electric toothbrush is powered by a battery, it requires way less force to use it. It’s much easier for someone to move over their teeth, and they tend to have larger handles that are also easier for people to hold. 

Are there any downsides to electric toothbrushes?

You’ve seen the advantages, but are there some disadvantages to having an electric toothbrush? 

Well, the only slight concern is that electric toothbrushes are more expensive than manual ones. Some of the more advanced ones will cost well over $100, which might seem a bit extreme for some people. Plus, you still have to pay to replace the heads, which can cost as much as it does to replace a manual toothbrush. So, over the long run, electric toothbrushes will be a more expensive investment. 

Are manual toothbrushes bad?

No, they’re not! 

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with using a manual toothbrush as it will still remove plaque and protect your oral health. The key is understanding how to get the most out of your manual toothbrush by using the right brushing technique. Brush lightly to protect your gums, and ensure that you brush all of your teeth equally. Set a timer on your phone or watch to make sure you get the full 2 minutes, and you will still have a very clean and healthy mouth. 

Electric Toothbrush vs Manual Toothbrush: The Conclusion

To round off this guide, we will conclude by saying that electric toothbrushes are better than manual ones. This is simply because they come with features that make them more effective at removing plaque, allowing you to have a healthier mouth. By all means, using a manual toothbrush is still better than not brushing at all. So, if you can’t afford an electric one just yet, you should still use a manual one twice a day, but follow the advice above for the correct brushing technique. 

The most important thing to take from this guide is that brushing your teeth is critical for good oral health. If you want to give yourself a better chance of avoiding cavities and oral health issues, pick up an electric toothbrush.