Walk down any toothbrush aisle and you can easily become overwhelmed by the number of choices, sizes and shapes available. Should you go with a manual toothbrush, a battery-operated toothbrush or an electric toothbrush?
Then, depending on the type choose, you now have to select the best toothbrush from what may feel like hundreds of options.
Although there are pros and cons of each type of toothbrush, for the purpose of this blog post, I am only going to focus on some benefits you might not be aware of for using an electric toothbrush.
5 Great Reasons For Using An Electric Toothbrush:
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- For optimal dental care, I recommend brushing for a minimum of two minutes each time you brush your teeth. Unfortunately, most people don’t brush near long enough. According to the Academy of General Dentistry, the average person brushes his or her teeth for just one minute.
Benefit: An electric toothbrush takes the guesswork out of tooth brushing as each is set to have you brush for a specific length of time (usually two minutes). This ensures a longer, more thorough teeth brushing experience.
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- If you’re like me, you may enjoy drinks that have a tendency to ‘stain’ your teeth, such as those that contain caffeine i.e., coffee, hot tea, iced tea or red wine. It’s not just drinks that stain teeth; smoking and aging are also culprits that rob your teeth of whiteness.
Benefit: Stain removal. With manual brushing, you’re able to do about 300 strokes per minute. Depending on the electric toothbrush you are using, you can get brush rotations anywhere from 3,000 times a minute to 40,000 strokes per minute. The extra power an electric toothbrush offers makes it easier to whiten your smile.
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- Proper brushing is essential to good oral care. To get good results from toothbrush, you need a certain amount of dexterity and strength to manually brush your teeth. For those with limited dexterity due to arthritis, carpal tunnel, stroke or paralysis, holding a toothbrush in the proper way can be difficult.
Benefit: With an electric toothbrush there is less work needed from the wrist and elbow joints to effectively brush your teeth, which gives it a definite positive in my book, for people living with a disability.
Bonus: You can increase the benefits of an electric toothbrush by using a smaller brush head. This can make it easier for the toothbrush to reach those hard-to-brush teeth, such as those in the back of your mouth or for adults wearing braces, the wires and brackets where food tends to hide.
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- One drawback for some individuals is the cost of an electric toothbrush. It can be a little too expensive. For many, insurance, such as Health Reimbursement Account (HRA), Health Savings Account (HSA) or Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) won’t cover the cost either.
Benefit: The good news, under certain conditions your HRA, HSA or Health Care FSA may cover the cost for the purchase of electric toothbrush. For example, when the request for reimbursement is submitted with a physician’s diagnosis letter, your provider may cover the cost. Every insurance company has different reimbursable items, so check with your insurance company before purchasing an electric toothbrush.
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- If you’ve assumed losing your teeth is a natural consequence of the aging process, you’re wrong. Losing teeth as you age is not a natural part of growing older. The biggest reasons adults lose their teeth is due to lifestyle, diet and poor oral health care, which makes you more susceptible to diseases like periodontitis (gum disease). The good news, this is preventable.
Benefits: Using an electric toothbrush has been shown to be more effective in reducing the diseases that contribute to poor oral health. According to a review completed by the Cochrane Oral Health Group, a powered toothbrush (when compared to a manual toothbrush) has shown an 11% reduction in plaque at one to three months of use, and a 21% reduction in plaque when assessed after three months of use. For gingivitis (gum disease), there was a 6% reduction at one to three months of use and an 11% reduction when assessed after three months of use.
Keep Your Teeth Healthy
Just two minutes of teeth cleaning twice a day, flossing and mouth-washing every day, supported with regular trips to the dentist and hygienist will help keep your teeth fit for a lifetime.
To learn more about the cosmetic and restorative dental options available for improving your oral health, gums and teeth Click Here.
Or call Dr. Patty’s Dental Boutique at (954) 524-2300 or Toll-Free at 1 (855) 377-2889.
Related Articles:
The Truth About Healthy Teeth: At-Home Dental Care
Toothbrush: Electric vs. Traditional
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