Electric toothbrush

Electric toothbrushes are no longer a luxury item. They are already part of most bathrooms. And that's understandable too. The annoying work of daily cleaning is made much easier by the electric toothbrush. You still have to hold the brush and move it from one tooth to the next - but the rest is done by the brush head.

What is an electric toothbrush?

Electric toothbrushes differ from conventional toothbrushes in that they have a movable brush head. The electric toothbrush was invented in Switzerland in the 1950s.

Dr. Philippe-Guy Woog developed the toothbrush for people with motor impairments and people with braces. The first toothbrushes still had a cable for power supply. It wasn't until the 1960s that toothbrushes with batteries were made. But more important than the power supply is how the power is conducted inside the brush.

To avoid a short circuit, all toothbrushes are based on inductive charging technology. Only when the two parts, the handle and the brush head, are put together, can the current flow.

Structure & function

Electric toothbrushes are divided into two parts. The upper part is the removable brush head and the lower part is the handle.

With a rechargeable toothbrush, the handle is inserted into a charging station to recharge the battery. With a battery operated toothbrush, the batteries in the handle can be replaced.

Electric toothbrushes also differ in their cleaning technique. With battery toothbrushes you can choose between rotating-oscillating and sonic technology. Oscillating means that the head swings from vertical to horizontal, while rotating describes a circular movement.

Meanwhile, battery-powered toothbrushes vibrate and move sideways to remove plaque.

Shapes, types & types

Removable brush heads come in different shapes. Sonic toothbrush heads hardly differ in shape from conventional toothbrushes. Both are oval and elongated.

Meanwhile, electric toothbrush heads are rounded. With the exception of sonic toothbrushes, most electric toothbrushes operate at a speed of 5,000 to 30,000 revolutions per minute. Sonic toothbrushes work at 30,000 revolutions and higher. The hardness of the brush head should also be considered when buying. If in doubt, soft bristles are preferable.

With the popularity of electric toothbrushes, so too does the creativity of manufacturers. In many cases, battery toothbrushes come with at least one of the following additional offers: oral irrigator, timer (for the 2 minute minimum cleaning time), interdental attachment for cleaning the spaces between the teeth and cleaning attachment for the tongue.

There are also manufacturers who offer UV sterilizers for the brush heads. With the help of UV light, germs on the brush head are killed. Which makes sense in the humid and warm environment of the bathroom. Brush heads should also be changed every 4 to 6 weeks.

Medical & health benefits

The most common question regarding electric toothbrushes one thing is certain: are they better than conventional toothbrushes?

There are medical studies that suggest that electric toothbrushes performed only slightly better than conventional toothbrushes. However, these studies assume that traditional toothbrushes are being used correctly. In most cases this is not the case. And this is where the advantage of electric toothbrushes lies. These are easier to use.

Because the toothbrush does the job, one needs e.g. no own pressure when holding the brush. Brushing your teeth too vigorously or forcefully is one of the main mistakes that dentists pick up again and again. In the event of too much pressure, not only will plaque be removed, but parts of the healthy tooth will also be removed.

Electric toothbrushes may only perform marginally better in studies, but the ease of use, the feeling of intensive cleaning and the massage effect for the gums created by the vibrations make electric toothbrushes a popular means of oral hygiene among users.

This is also reflected in today's prices. Electric toothbrushes are still more expensive than conventional toothbrushes - but the difference is no longer as great as it was a few years ago. Only with the exchangeable brush heads do consumers feel that the price does not correspond to the value.

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