By Jaime O’Neill DDS
Over the years, there’s been a long-running debate over which is the more effective way to clean your teeth – a traditional toothbrush or power-driven model. Early power toothbrushes were often costly, cumbersome to use and did not last long, so it was easy to tout the traditional method of brushing.
Things have changed. Now, there are hundreds of electric and battery-driven models to choose from, many of which are reasonably priced.
So now the question becomes: Which method is better?
The answer is not so simple.
If you use the proper, soft-bristled toothbrush and brush properly, making sure not to cause damage to your gums where they meet your teeth, then manual brushing is fine.
One advantage of using the power brush is that it, generally, provides a more gentle massaging of your gums, especially around the ever important gum/teeth line.
So if you’re an aggressive brusher and we see the results during your checkups here, we’ll likely recommend you consider switching to a power-driven brush.
As for children, new research is showing that kids often prefer a power brush because, well, it’s more fun. There now are a number of power brushes made just for kids in various fun designs.
So if you’re having trouble getting your children to brush their teeth each morning and night, you might consider switching to a power-driven model.
The bottom line on brushing is this: There is no easy method of doing it right. However, you might find the power brush a more effective way of cleaning your teeth – and more fun for you children.
Feel free to ask me or our hygienists for more information on this subject. If you want to do some research on your own, the Internet is a good place to start.
