As dentists who base our practice on removing and replacing teeth, we at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania stress the importance of good oral hygiene. Many patients who wish to care for new implants are curious about which of the many oral hygiene products best suit their needs. When it comes to electric versus manual toothbrushes, it could depend on the person’s brushing skills.
When manual toothbrushes are used properly, they provide as much protection against tooth decay as electric toothbrushes. However, manual toothbrushes also have to be used for two minutes at a time, and many people do not use them for long enough to do a thorough job cleaning. There is also a risk that a manual toothbrush could scratch a denture, although people should only ever be using brushes with soft bristles and there are manual toothbrushes specifically designed for dentures. Electric toothbrushes make tens of thousands of strokes per minute without the user needing to move their hands as much and they don’t exert pressure, so some people get better results with them. But there is also a risk of overbrushing the gums.
Besides being more convenient for people with dexterity issues, the other major benefit of electric toothbrushes is that some of them come with Bluetooth technology. This allows them to interact with apps that monitor whether a patient is skipping over spots on their teeth. The apps work on a similar principle to chewable plaque disclosing tablets, but can be used to track the brusher’s progress over multiple brushings. This sort of technology costs much more than regular toothbrushes, but may be worth it to someone who has been unable to prevent tooth decay using low-tech means.
Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania operate in Philadelphia, Folsom, and Clifton Heights. Visit Oral Surgery PA or call 215-463-4141.
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