Why electric toothbrushes are bad

No Problem Click For Specials. Review Us On Google. Here are four common mistakes people make while using an electric toothbrush: Buying the wrong toothbrush. All electric toothbrushes are not equal. Make sure the brush comfortably fits in your hands and the electric head fits easily in your mouth. Not brushing long enough. The American Dental Association recommends brushing for a full two minutes. Most electric toothbrushes have a timer, but many people still quite early.

Brushing too often or too hard. Brushing more than three times a day is not ideal; it is hurting you more than helping you. Be thorough. Clean the front and back sides of all your teeth, top and bottom, including the sharp edges. You also need to get the toothbrush behind your back teeth. For good measure, use your toothbrush to go over the surface of your tongue, to reduce bacteria and prevent bad breath.

Use the right touch. And know the signs of overly aggressive brushing: tooth sensitivity, bleeding or irritated gums, receding gums, and splayed toothbrush bristles. Replace your toothbrush regularly. However, some manufacturers now offer manual toothbrushes with replaceable heads. Read our special report, " The Big Problem with Plastic. Check out a few of our top-rated electric toothbrushes. Members can see our full toothbrush ratings and reviews.

We respect your privacy. All email addresses you provide will be used just for sending this story. By Sally Wadyka. Published January 19, Updated September 14, Photo: iStock. More on Dental Health. Best Electric Toothbrushes of How to Keep Teeth Healthier Longer. Do Electric Toothbrushes Clean Better? What's in a Toothbrush? Use the Best Toothbrushing Technique. Sharing is Nice. Yes, send me a copy of this email. They limit your choices to soft bristle brushes that will not harm teeth and gums and they keep the size to a minimum, and to boot they include 2 minute timers built right into the brush.

With these features we have found that these alone attribute to better oral hygiene in as little as one to two months. Recently I saw a patient for his six month check-up and I noticed that his cleaning did not take as long as in times past. What was the difference? He had reduced staining and build-up by using an electric toothbrush. This was great news! In my dental practice my team and I have used or tried just about anything.

We have settled on the Sonicare for most individuals because of its ease of use and gentleness to the gum tissue. In some special cases we recommend Rotadent. Currently, I cannot recommend the Oral B 3D. Oral B has done a great job over the years but recently they have confused the market with many different attachments to their brushes and we believe that the brush can be too aggressive on the gum tissue. We want to help you choose the best method for health teeth and gums.

You may just need to step up manual brushing techniques or you may benefit from one of these electric toothbrushes.