If you are using a regular toothbrush you’ve probably wondered at least once if you should switch to an electric toothbrush. If you’re using an electric brush you’ve probably wondered if you really need one. Both are legitimate concerns as you will see.

In the most general terms it is probably better to have an electronic toothbrush. Research has shown that a group using an electric tooth brush had 20% less plaque than a group using a manual toothbrush. This research was done almost 20 years ago, by now electric toothbrush technology has probably reached a point where there is almost no plaque left after brushing. One thing to keep in mind though is that neither group of people was given instructions on how to brush their teeth. So while those using a manual brush may have had a lot of plaque due to bad brushing technique, those using electric toothbrushes were getting a good brush due to the inherent motions of an electric toothbrush.

Should I Switch to an Electric Toothbrush or Vice Versa?

Next time you go to the dentist ask the hygienist how much plaque your teeth have on them. If the hygienist says there is hardly any plaque on your teeth then that means your brushing technique is good and you probably don’t need an electronic toothbrush.

If the hygienist tells you have a lot of plaque then you might want to switch to an electric toothbrush or ‘brush-up’ on your tooth brushing skills.

If you are already using an electric toothbrush there is no reason to switch to manual unless you are looking for ways to save money. If you find that switching to a regular toothbrush increases the amount of plaque on your teeth you may want to switch back to an electric toothbrush since you can’t put a price on healthy teeth.