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Dental Hygiene - Part Two

 Copyright © August 5, 2019 by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.
All Rights Reserved.

The following is not medical or dental advice nor is it a medical or dental recommendation.
Please consult a licensed medical or dental professional to have your medical and dental questions answered.

Introduction

My previous article on dental hygiene can be read by clicking here.

The purpose of this article is to very briefly review the benefits and shortcomings of an electric toothbrush.

Electric Toothbrushes

2 Electric Toothbrushes Electric toothbrushes are available with different types of brushing heads. There are advantages and disadvantages of each design and different dentists have different opinions about which design they prefer.
  1. Some electric toothbrushes have a single round head that oscillates when in use. This design more closely matches the polishing head that dental hygienists use to clean and polish your teeth. The two toothbrushes in the picture on the right have this design.
  2. Some electric toothbrushes have a round oscillating head and another brush that moves back and forth below the rotating head. This design resembles the bristle head on a standard manual toothbrush that people have used their entire lives. Therefore more people are willing to try this design because it looks like something they already use.
Electric toothbrushes operate on two different types of electrical battery power:
  1. Some electric toothbrushes are plugged into a wall outlet and the toothbrush is placed in a recharging stand and its internal battery is recharged between uses. These are the most expensive toothbrushes and they are not as portable as the next type, and they take up more space on the bathroom counter, and they must have access to an electric wall outlet.
  2. Some electric toothbrushes are powered with 2 AA batteries and when those batteries expire they can be removed and replaced. These toothbrushes are as portable as a standard size toothbrush. When this type of toothbrush eventually stops working it can be replaced for just a few dollars. The two electric toothbrushes in the picture on the right use AA batteries and they can stand upright on a bathroom counter on their large white bottom end where the AA batteries are located.
Advantages of Using an Electric Toothbrush:
  1. The bristles move at a speed that the human hand cannot match. The bristles move at between 3,000 to 7,500 (or more) brush strokes per minute.
  2. The bristle head more effectively reaches and cleans areas that are challenging to reach with a manual toothbrush, such as molars or wisdom teeth in the rear of the mouth, and tiny spaces between the teeth.
  3. They have been clinically proven to remove more plaque and stains from the teeth and to gradually whiten your teeth.
  4. They have been clinically proven to reduce gingivitis and prevent gum disease while simultaneously causing less damage to the gums.
  5. Reducing bacteria, plaque, gingivitis, gum inflammation, and periodontal disease is important because these mouth problems have been linked to dementia, strokes, and heart attacks. This is not unreasonable when you consider the short distance an infection has to travel from the gums to the brain. Individuals with gum disease and periodontal disease are 3 times more likely to have a stroke. Strokes frequently result in long-term disability and strokes are the third highest cause of death in the USA. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the USA.
  6. The vibrations of the bristles gently massage the gums and they stimulate the healthy circulation of blood.
  7. The rotating and vibrating motions of the bristles are very similar to the ones used by dental hygienists when they clean your teeth.
  8. Because they oscillate at high speed they only require a fraction of the toothpaste required when compared to a manual toothbrush. An electric toothbrush will whip a very small amount of toothpaste into a lot of foam and the toothpaste foam will quickly fill your mouth. And an electric toothbrush will more efficiently use that small amount of toothpaste to clean your teeth.
  9. Electric toothbrushes do a better job of evenly distributing the fluoride toothpaste throughout the entire mouth including the spaces between the teeth and this helps to put a fluoride coating on the entire tooth.
  10. More than 80% of the dental patients who switched to an electric toothbrush received a healthier oral hygiene report on their next visit to their dentist.
  11. They are preferred by senior adults, young children, and with individuals who have arthritis or who have reduced mobility in their arms and hands.
  12. If properly instructed in how to use an electric toothbrush, children can more effectively clean their teeth when compared to using a manual toothbrush.
  13. An electric toothbrush does a better cleaning job for anyone who has braces because the bristles are more effective in cleaning around the metal brackets and wires.
  14. Tiny food particles, plaque, and bacteria in the mouth are some of the causes of bad breath. Electric toothbrushes do a superior job of eliminating this stuff from your teeth and your mouth and the result will be that you have fresher smelling breath.
  15. Dentists recommend brushing your teeth for 2 minutes twice per day. Individuals who use an electric toothbrush get significantly more benefits each time they brush when compared to using a manual toothbrush.
  16. An electric toothbrush can improve your dental health and reduce the number of cavities you have. Requiring less dental repair work can significantly reduce your total dental bill.
Disadvantages of an Electric Toothbrush:
  1. An electric toothbrush costs more than a manual toothbrush.
  2. The brush head will need to be replaced more frequently than a manual toothbrush.
  3. The 2 AA batteries will have to be periodically replaced.
  4. Some people with extremely sensitive teeth do not like the vibrating motions of an electric toothbrush and they prefer a manual toothbrush because they can control the brushing pressure better.
  5. Some people prefer a small manual toothbrush when they travel. However, a toothbrush that operates on 2 AA batteries is not much bigger than a standard manual toothbrush.

Conclusion

  1. The initial cost of an electric toothbrush exceeds the cost of a manual toothbrush.
  2. An electric toothbrush will also require an investment in AA batteries and the brush head will need to be replaced more frequently than a manual toothbrush.
  3. An electric toothbrush only requires a fraction of the amount of toothpaste that you normally use with a manual toothbrush. If you do not reduce the amount of toothpaste that you put on the bristles of an electric toothbrush then your mouth will quickly become full of toothpaste foam and you will have to spit most of the toothpaste out of your mouth after just a few seconds of brushing.
  4. An electric toothbrush can reduce dental problems and this can reduce the possibility of serious medical problems such as dementia, strokes, and heart attacks.
  5. An electric toothbrush can reduce the number of cavities you have and this can reduce you total dental expense and the amount of time you spend in the dentist's office.
  6. The following link explains how to brush your teeth with an electric toothbrush: How to Use an Electric Toothbrush.
Respectfully,
Grandpappy.

Grandpappy's e-mail address is: RobertWayneAtkins@hotmail.com

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