This is a very popular question asked by many of my patients every day.
Which is better? Electric toothbrush or the manual toothbrush?
Well, it really depend. Personally, i usually evaluate the oral hygiene of the patient first, before i give an answer. You see, all roads do lead to Rome. Both kinds of toothbrushes are designed to clean teeth, provided if you know how to utilise them well.
If my patient has excellent oral hygiene to start with, i would say they would do equally well with electric or manual one. It then boil down to which type of brush do you LIKE to use?
On the other hand, if my patient has some conditions like gum disease or cavities, i would first go through with them some proper toothbrushing technique, using the manual brush. You see, with the right tool, you still require the right technique to get the job done.
I would probably introduce the electric toothbrush as an additional tool to clean certain hard-to-reach areas like the biting surfaces of the last molars or wisdom teeth. This is because most electric toothbrush has small head that allow easy access into the mouth. It is fun when you combine using both the 2 types of brushes. 
For patients who are wearing braces, there are some past statistics and studies that show certain electric toothbrush can perform better than the manual toothbrush in cleaning the teeth with brackets. Hence, i usually advise my orthodontic patient to use an electric toothbrush, if they already possess one at home, or go and get one, especially if their oral hygiene is very poor.
To conclude, please remember that the right tool may not necessary be the best tool. You need to know how to utilise it well. For example, you would want to be gentle when using the electric toothbrush ( especially when it is just fully charged!) and be careful not to overbrush and wear away the enamel.
More importantly, use the brush that you like and enjoy the most.
Happy Brushing!
This is a very popular question asked by many of my patients every day.
Which is better? Electric toothbrush or the manual toothbrush?
Well, it really depend. Personally, i usually evaluate the oral hygiene of the patient first, before i give an answer. You see, all roads do lead to Rome. Both kinds of toothbrushes are designed to clean teeth, provided if you know how to utilise them well.
If my patient has excellent oral hygiene to start with, i would say they would do equally well with electric or manual one. It then boil down to which type of brush do you LIKE to use?
On the other hand, if my patient has some conditions like gum disease or cavities, i would first go through with them some proper toothbrushing technique, using the manual brush. You see, with the right tool, you still require the right technique to get the job done.
I would probably introduce the electric toothbrush as an additional tool to clean certain hard-to-reach areas like the biting surfaces of the last molars or wisdom teeth. This is because most electric toothbrush has small head that allow easy access into the mouth. It is fun when you combine using both the 2 types of brushes.
For patients who are wearing braces, there are some past statistics and studies that show certain electric toothbrush can perform better than the manual toothbrush in cleaning the teeth with brackets. Hence, i usually advise my orthodontic patient to use an electric toothbrush, if they already possess one at home, or go and get one, especially if their oral hygiene is very poor.
To conclude, please remember that the right tool may not necessary be the best tool. You need to know how to utilise it well. For example, you would want to be gentle when using the electric toothbrush ( especially when it is just fully charged!) and be careful not to overbrush and wear away the enamel.
More importantly, use the brush that you like and enjoy the most.
Happy Brushing!