ToothBrush - manual or electric - serious question...
By coffeebreak
@coffeebreak (17798)
United States
November 17, 2007 11:07am CST
This will sound silly, but I ask seriously:
I have been using a good quality toothbrush . My husband bought me an electric one yesterday and I used it today. I can see that hte rotation of the brishels would be beneficial to cleaning teeth, but had the problem that the toothpaste disappeared quickly. No paste to clean with! They wuickly dissapeared. I used the same amount as usual. But when I use my manual TB - the suds are there to use to clean with and I brush 2 minutes and still there are paste suds. So although the bristels of the manual brush might not get as deep as the electric one,if there is nothing to use to clean once in the teeth deeper, what's the point of the electrical? yes, i could use more toothpaste, but surely there is another reason...
What's your opinion of electric vs. manula toothbrushes?
1 person likes this
12 responses
@switze22 (61)
• United States
17 Nov 07
Electric are way better. They do a much better job of getting between teach and removing plaque.
The health of your entire body is directly related to the health of your mouth, so take care of it!
Use Plax, brush, floss, and Listerine at least twice a day for perfect teeth!
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
18 Nov 07
I got my grand daughter a toothbrush that lights up - it blinks for 1 mintues! I tell her she has to brush the top/sides until it stops blinking, squeeze it and it starts again and she has to do the bottom/sides until it stops then one more squeeze for an "all over, general make sure". She loves it! I dont' have to nag her at all to brush!
@neednewjeans (65)
•
17 Nov 07
If you floss twice a day i'm surprised you have any teeth left. Flossing ruins the gums in between your teeth, which in turn undermines the strength of your teeth and can lead to infection. I only floss once or twice a week and then very softly thats all you need. Anybody that tells you to floss more probably has shares in the people that make it.
@neednewjeans (65)
•
17 Nov 07
I used to have an electric toothbrush but got rid of it after about a week and went back to using a manual toothbrush. Ok your teeth might feel cleaner using and electric one but it only cleans the surface and doesn't clean the gums and an electric one has a much smaller surface area of bristles. Electric only offer one movement usually circular but with a manual you can use a variety of angles to get right to the back of your mouth.
It's sad but most people only seem to care about how their teeth look so only polish them and don't give them a thourough clean.I spend at least 5 mintues cleaning every part of my mouth and pay particular attention to the back of my teeth. That bit might not be on show but it has plaque just the same.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
17 Nov 07
You may be shocked to know that I do not use toothpaste, so for me that part does not matter, although, yes, I do remember that with commercial toothpaste some of the electric toothbrushes do seem to splatter more! But I make my own tooth powder out of baking soda and a few herbs and the electric toothbrush is my vast preference. I use the one that comes together with an oral irrigator, the OxyJet, which has saved me from many trips to the dentist. There is simply no comparison, in my opinion. Hubby is so devoted to his electric toothbrush that he packs it in his suitcase and uses it in hotel rooms when we travel. For traveling I just use a manual one. But at home the electric one is part of my regimen, and mine toothbrush has about 5 different sized brushes, one for getting into tiny places, one that flosses while brushing, a polisher, and several others.
Keep trying, even with commercial toothpaste you will get the hang of it, but maybe this will help. You do want to try running the dry head of your electric toothbrush under water for a little while before putting the toothpaste on and using it. See if that makes a difference if you are not already doing it that way. Also, if you are used to a manual toothbrush there is a tendency to press too hard when first using an electric. I'm sure that after a while you will absolutely love your electric toothbrush and wonder how you ever did without it.
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
17 Nov 07
Who'd a ever thought brushing your teeth could be so complicated! LOL!! These are great tips tho. appreciate them. I'll see how it goes
@Ohara_1983 (4117)
• Kuwait
9 Dec 07
actually i still prepare the manual toothbrush, than electric, because electric it so expensive not the same in manual is cheap and still you can save your money, just use oral B toothbrush it nice and will give you a perfect smile.i think electric toothbrush to the people lazy to brush thier teeth using thier hand, elecric just you will switch on it will brush all your teeth.
@kuting (885)
• Philippines
10 Dec 07
i have an othodontic appliance installed (braces/brackets) and my dentist provided me with a manual orthodontic toothbrush. i think is really effective and it cleans all the creavices very well.
@paradise12 (938)
• India
9 Dec 07
I use the manual toothbrush rather than a electric one and to be frank i havent yet seen the electric toothbrush till now so no idea how it works...
@dajiale (108)
• China
17 Nov 07
I didn`t meet this situation of that before, the electric toothbrush is no as powerful and flexible as the manual one, so I choose the manual one.
Sence the electric toothbrush is a gift your husband sent to you, you should use it for a time I think. Or you can use it in the evening before you go to bed, in evening less toothpaste is required as in morning.
Good luck!
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
17 Nov 07
That is what I was leaning toward too - the manual just seems to clean better. My teeth/mouth also feel cleaner after wards. Just didn't have the fresh, clean feeling wih the electric.
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
18 Nov 07
I have used both. I did feel as if I was doing a better job with the electric but my dentist told me that it really did not matter. So when the brush wore out, I got a manual as it was cheaper and I get the same results at the dentist. Floss...that is key!
@spacecreature (114)
• United States
17 Nov 07
I would rather use a manual toothbrush other than electric for the same reason you have trouble with your electric one.
@Sillychick (3275)
• United States
18 Nov 07
I have always preferred manual, mostly because I think I can do just as good a job with it as with an electric. I also floss and rinse with mouthwash, so I think I do a pretty thorough job. I have never had that problem with an electric- well, with the one electric I had. But I would feel the same way, what's the point without the toothpaste there? It's better than nothing, but obviously not as good.
@redes74 (4)
• United States
18 Nov 07
I was actually told by my dentist to use an electric toothbrush because it does get more of the plaque off of your teeth then a manual. Plus I have crooked teeth, overlapping and what not, so an electric brush can get into those spaces much better. I was also told to floss and use mouthwash everyday! But, of course, I don't. :)
I do rinse at night before bed, but I only floss once a week. And there are also times where I will use mouthwash instead of toothpaste to brush my teeth. Kill 2 birds with one stone. Or maybe I'm just too lazy! I find that an electric brush is a lot less work too. Just let it do its' thing.
