[ls20]

i need to switch to e-brushes because i brush too zealously with conventional brushes and i think i am damaging my gums (by scraping)...

any good deals out there? any brands to avoid?

 

[SiBurning]

The 1 AA battery guy doesn't vibrate much at all. The 2 AA battery guy works fine.

 

[AlanY]

I had the same problem. I was brushing too hard, causing my gums to start to recede. I thought an electric toothbrush would help, so I got a Sonicare (Philips) but it did more harm than good. The Sonicare head mechanism was too large to easily brush my back teeth, and I ended up needing my first (and so far only) root canal in one of those back teeth after about two years of using the Sonicare. Also, the Sonicare's type of vibrating motion really wasn't that effective at removing plaque, at least for me. I basically ended up brushing as aggressively as I did before, which didn't help my gums. After the root canal my dentist suggested going back to a conventional brush using an "ultra-soft" tip. That made a world of difference for me. It keeps the teeth clean while being very gentle on the gums. Ultra-soft bristles seem to wear a little faster than soft or regular bristles, but they're still a whole lot cheaper than an electric brush and replacement heads every so often.

I don't have any experience with the "rotating head" style of electric brushes. Those might be better for your gums than the Sonicare style head.

 

[Imyourzero]

I've always heard and read good things about the Sonicare brushes (edit: well until just now, when I saw Alan's post). I'm not sure how the new(er) competition from Oral-B compares, though...perhaps someone here has tried them. I plan on getting a Sonicare Elite unless I find something in the same price range that's better.

 

[-ries]

the HummingBird by OralB. This is not a toothbrush, replaces flossing with strings.

 

[Shizelbs]

With the Sonicare, you are not supposed to brush with it. The proper technique is to slowly glide the bristles over the teeth. The sonic vibrations created by the head disrupt the cellular membrane of the decay causing bacteria on your teeth. So, the bugs are dead, no decay, and with no scrubbing.

 

[socrates63]

I brushed too hard which caused my gums to recede. So upon advice from dentists and orthodontists, I got the Sonicare. It works really well.

If you're concerned about gum care, then floss daily. According to my dentist, if people flossed daily, he'd be out of business.

 

[Stephonovich]

Had a cheapie once. Of the variety that it's cheaper to buy a new one than replace the batteries

Now I just get a really good manual one. Don't remember what I currently have, but it's the one with the rubber bristles around the outside edge. Quite comfy, and only about $4.

 

[The Actual]

My family has had a sonicare for a while, and it seems to be working fine. I haven't had any cavities or whatnot for maybe eight years or something.

 

[Leporello]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls20 i need to switch to e-brushes because i brush too zealously with conventional brushes and i think i am damaging my gums (by scraping)... any good deals out there? any brands to avoid?

I have had several Brauns over the years. I'm quite happy with my current Braun Oral-B Professional Care 7500 (3D action, 40 000 pulsations and 8 800 rotations per minute) . The battery seems to last longer than in the previous models.



Regards,

L.

 

[pne]

electric, not electronic... theres no electronics in a toothbrush!

my vote is crest spinbrush pro, the oral b humming bird is a great flosser as well. both for a total of under 20 bucks.

 

[Edwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls20 i need to switch to e-brushes because i brush too zealously with conventional brushes and i think i am damaging my gums (by scraping)... any good deals out there? any brands to avoid?

Sonicare is the one to have if you are worried about your gums. It's good for the teeth too.

If you have a Costco near you, check them out. They have the cheapest local price I've seen. Well, at least if you factor the cost of buying two.

-Ed

 

[AlanY]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shizelbs With the Sonicare, you are not supposed to brush with it. The proper technique is to slowly glide the bristles over the teeth. The sonic vibrations created by the head disrupt the cellular membrane of the decay causing bacteria on your teeth. So, the bugs are dead, no decay, and with no scrubbing.

That's what the marketing materials and the manual says, but it never really worked for me. You can tell how much plaque is being removed by using disclosing tablets (you chew them and they turn plaque red or blue). Just sliding the Sonicare over your teeth leaves a whole lot of plaque. I could feel it with my tongue, too. I needed to brush with the Sonicare if I wanted to get my teeth clean, and the half-dome base of the brush head made this inconvenient.

There was a big study published in 2003 that found that most electric toothbrushes did no better at removing plaque than manual brushing:
http://www.irishhealth.com/?level=4&id=4568
The only ones that were superior to straight brushing were the "rotation oscillation brushes" (I guess this means the Oral B ones?).

Anyway, I think sticking to proper regular brushing with a soft or ultra-soft brush is probably a better bet than picking up an electric brush. Also, I agree with Socrates63, flossing is really important to keeping your gums healthy.