Electric toothbrushes best for fighting gum disease

We're probably all familiar with the dentist's electric toothbrush that whirs around in little circles. It's called a rotation oscillation brush and is the best type of electric toothbrush. When used properly, this particular movement of bristles provides a more thorough cleaning than any other electric brush or a manual one.

Studies published in both the American Journal of Dentistry and the British Dental Journal agree that electric toothbrushes are more effective at removing plaque and reducing gingivitis than manual ones. Electric toothbrushes not only move bristles at a much faster speed than you could possibly achieve manually, but they also remove plaque more evenly in hard-to-reach places, such as between teeth and on back molars.

Benefits increased with longer use, as gingivitis was reduced 17 percent after more than three months. The brush was better at removing plaque under the gum line and in areas harder to reach such as on back molars and between teeth.

None of this means, however, that manual toothbrushes are obsolete — just that most people in studies do a better cleaning of their teeth with an electric model. Contributing to people's more active, thorough, and consistent brushing, at least at first, is the curiosity and excitement sparked by using a new gizmo.

Considerations

• Other electric toothbrushes showed no benefits over manual toothbrushes, the researchers said. This includes brushes which vibrate at ultrasonic frequencies, have heads that move from side to side, have sets of bristles that move one way and then the other or have heads that rotate in only one direction.

Warning

• Proper usage of the electric toothbrush is essential. Some research shows that users do not brush as carefully as those with manual brushes, and so do not get any extra benefits. If they're using a brush other than the rotation oscillation type and do not use it properly, they probably will do worse than people doing manual brushing.
Even with a rotation oscillation brush, people should still be sure to floss at least once a day to remove food particles and plaque that a toothbrush can't reach.

Sources: ehow, goaskalice