What are the downside of using electric toothbrushes?

We often imagine that the electric toothbrush is a modern and recent invention, whereas it dates from 1954! The first model, the Broxodent, was developed by Dr. Philippe-Guy Woog, based in Switzerland.

Since then, the electric toothbrush has been perfected and democratized, making it accessible to the greatest number of people. If it is proved that its use is much more effective than a manual brushing, it is however not without dangers.

The two types of electric toothbrushes

There are two families of electric toothbrushes, the sonic and the oscillo-rotating.

The electric toothbrush sonic

The electric sonic toothbrush is the one that most resembles the manual brush, both in form and in use. Its oval or rectangular head is the same as that of a manual and it performs the same movements as those of a manual brushing, that is to say with vertical beats on your teeth. They are of course much faster.

The oscillating electric toothbrush

The brush The oscillating electric toothbrush generally has a smaller, round head. However, there are brush models that resemble the rectangular shape and boast a dual action of the brush.

This round brush works by rotation and brushes the teeth one by one, by marrying the shape of each one.

The choice of either model is a matter of personal taste, as both are very effective. Brushes are faster and allow you to clean all the teeth well, regardless of their position in the mouth. When you brush your teeth manually, there are always awkward angles that prevent you from making the right move.

What are the dangers of electric toothbrushes?

Enamel wear and gum irritation due to excessive pressure

Pressing too hard on the brush is a common fault. You don't measure the power of your brush and you can quickly get into the habit of pressing too hard on your teeth. You don't realize it, because it's not painful at all, but with so much brushing, your enamel is overworked and your gums become sensitive.

This defect appears on both types of brushes, sonic or oscillo-rotating. The best way to protect yourself is to choose an electric toothbrush with a pressure sensor. This option is, along with the timer, the most basic, which means that you can find it on almost any brush, without having to pay extra.

Retraction of the gums

When brushing a tooth from the tip to the gum line, the bristles should not touch the base of the tooth. This is what happens if you press too hard on your brush or steer it wrong, whether it's manual or electric. This will force the gums to recede, which then causes serious problems with loose teeth.

You'll encounter this problem much more with sonic brushes, because of their back-and-forth motion. You must therefore make sure that your gums are at the end of the brush's stroke, so that they are only brushed.

Brushing too superficially

On the contrary, brushing too superficially is more frequent with an oscillating brush. With this type of brush, you must learn to be static. Your hand should just direct the brush from tooth to tooth, but not make any brushing motion.

The brush should wrap around each tooth, before moving on to the next. You also need to be fair between the front and back sides. Learn to stand still and the problem is solved.

The inaccessible corners

If you're used to brushing with a manual, rectangular-headed brush, you may find it odd to switch to a round brush that covers less surface area. Once you've tried it, you'll understand why the oscillating/rotating motion of the brush means it needs to be smaller, especially for the inside of the teeth.

If you equip your oscillating brush with a rectangular brush, you'll understand even better. Indeed, this shape is not easily compatible with the movement and the result is that you will have more difficulty to reach the arc of circle composed by the posterior face of the incisors. If these brushes are sold to you under the guise of dual action, they tend to have a negative impact on the maneuverability of the brush. It is therefore recommended to stick to the round brush. If you really want the rectangular brush, choose a sonic brush.

Conclusion

In addition to these disadvantages, which are easy to overcome, you will always enjoy better oral hygiene with an electric toothbrush. If you think that an electric toothbrush is a good idea, we invite you to read our article on which electric toothbrush to choose.