When purchasing an electric toothbrush, there are certain features you should look for.
Timer
It’s all too easy to forget how long you’ve been brushing. That’s why the best electric toothbrushes have a brushing timer. Dentists recommend two minutes, which feels a lot longer than it sounds. These brushes do the hard work for you by letting you know when you can (eventually) stop.
They also alert you every 30 seconds to move to a new part of your mouth. Most people spend more time on certain parts of their mouth and neglect other parts. They usually focus on the front of their teeth and the easier-to-reach parts of their mouth. This can lead to gum disease and tooth decay in other areas.
A timer is perhaps the most important function of your electric toothbrush, aside from perhaps a pressure sensor.
Pressure sensor
We’ve already mentioned it above, but a pressure sensor is one of the main reasons to buy an electric toothbrush instead of a manual one. It ensures that you don’t press too hard while brushing. This bad brushing habit can damage teeth and gums.
Brushing too often is often a substitute for good brushing. It can wear down the enamel on the teeth, leading to sensitive teeth and receding gums.
If you look at your toothbrush and notice that the bristles tend to part in the middle, like a palm tree, this is a sign that you are brushing too hard. To protect your teeth, buy a brush with a pressure sensor.
When you brush your teeth with an electric toothbrush, let the brush do the work itself. Move it slowly over your teeth – you don’t have to brush up and down to keep your teeth clean.
cleaning modes
More advanced electric toothbrushes have different modes. They usually have a button on the handle that allows you to switch between deep cleaning, whitening, tongue care, polishing and gum care.
Some have a setting for sensitive teeth, while others have a range of intensity levels that can be used in the same way.
If you suffer from sensitive teeth or bleeding gums, a brush with different options can make a big difference in how comfortable and effective your brushing is.
Battery life
It is very important that you can easily charge your brush, especially if you travel often. Some brushes, including the Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 and the more expensive oral-B iO brushes, come with a USB charger and a standard two-pin bathroom plug. The DiamondClean 9000 combines USB charging with a travel case, ideal.
An average battery life is now about two weeks, so keep that in mind when reading our reviews.
Bristles
Most brushes have standard nylon bristles, but a few are coming onto the market with silicone brush heads. Silicone is naturally bacteria resistant and much gentler on the gums than nylon, so it can be a good option for those with gum sensitivity.
There have been promising studies into the benefits of silicone brushes, but it is still too early to make any statements about them. Some dentists have warned that because the bristles are wider, they won’t have the same reach as nylon bristles.
Smart brushes
Smart brushes connect to a smartphone app to collect data about each brushing session. Depending on the app, they can also detect and flag errors in your technique and help change your brushing habits.
The best app we have found to improve your brushing technique is the Oral-B iO electric toothbrushes. Depending on the brush you get, you will get more or less feedback while brushing.
The higher the iO model number, the more feedback you get. The iO9 and iO10 give you real-time, detailed brushing feedback. If you’re interested in an iO brush, read our review of the best electric toothbrushes from Oral-B to see which one is right for you.
