Best Electric Toothbrush

Finding the Best Electric Toothbrush for your needs

Electric toothbrushes are not gimmicks. Major dental studies have shown that using a good electric toothbrush leads to better oral hygiene due to a number of factors. While good electric toothbrushes cost a good deal more to buy than even a multi-pack of regular manual toothbrushes, the benefits are definitely worth the extra money. Here's what we look for when evaluating the best electric toothbrushes:

Motion
The single biggest difference between electric toothbrushes is the type of brushing motion it offers. Sonicare toothbrushes utilize sonic technology to power the bristles, while standard electronic toothbrushes use a motor to oscillate the brush head. Both are major improvements over manual brushing, but our nod goes to the sonic brushes. Sonicare's toothbrushes move the bristles at a high frequency, which allows the toothbrush to power away plaque more effectively than manual brushing.

Ease of use
Any toothbrush should be simple to use. Usually, all that is required to use an electric toothbrush is to merely depress a button to start the brushing cycle. Electric toothbrushes operate identically to manual toothbrushes with one major exception: the brush motion can provide thousands of strokes in one pass as opposed to a single stroke. More advanced toothbrushes have sanitation kits which double as brush head storage, so they are no more complex to use than others. All of the best electric toothbrush models are battery powered, and are rechargeable using the included base.

Features
Some of the pricier electric toothbrushes on the market come loaded with features. While a more basic model offers just brushing capability, higher-end models have convenience and sanitation add-ons that make your life easier.

These days, a lot of electric toothbrush models feature a timer set for 2 minutes. The toothbrush is then set to alert you every thirty seconds. Dentists recommend brushing your teeth for at least 2 minutes, so the 'smart' electric toothbrushes have it programmed into their operation to alert you every 30 seconds to move on to a new quadrant of your mouth.

High-end electric toothbrush kits often come with brush head sanitizers. The cleanliness and sterility of brush heads themselves often goes unnoticed, so you may be surprised (and disgusted) at what you're putting into your mouth when you brush your teeth. A warm, damp toothbrush is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria such as E. coli, Streptococcus mutans, Herpes simplex, and fecal coliform. The included UV sanitizers kill a claimed 99% of these bacteria, reducing the risk of any sickness or infection caused by bacteria.

Price & Value
It should come as no surprise that an electric toothbrush loaded with sonic technology is going to cost quite a bit more than a standard toothbrush which is just a simple plastic mold with bristles and rubber inserts. Many electric toothbrush packages drive up the value by offering features such as an ultraviolet brush head sanitizer and better brushing power which leads to less frequent trips to the dentist. Also, the brush heads of electric toothbrushes tend to last quite a bit longer than manual brushes. The best electric toothbrush models offer vastly superior cleaning performance when compared to regular brushes, and can clean between teeth with more effectiveness than a standard brush ever can.

Expect to pay anywhere from $75 to $150 for a top-quality electric toothbrush, but cheap electronic toothbrushes that still perform relatively well can also be found.