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Some turn back and forth, others vibrate.
And then there are extras like pressure sensors and timers.
Electric toothbrushes come in a wide variety of designs.
What is really important when it comes to the equipment, and what should be considered when handling the electric brushes?
Electric toothbrush: rotation or vibration
So-called oscillating-rotating toothbrushes have round brush heads.
According to the Stiftung Warentest, they typically make several thousand swinging sideways movements per minute and also rotate back and forth at an angle of 50 to 70 degrees.
For some, there are also pulsating movements.
"This should also loosen the plaque," explains dentist Stefan Zimmer from the University of Witten / Herdecke.
It is explained in the dental practice: Each tooth must be brushed individually for a few seconds with an oscillating-rotating electric toothbrush
Source: dpa-tmn
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Sonic toothbrushes, on the other hand, have elongated brush heads.
According to Stiftung Warentest, they make 13,000 to 40,000 vibrating movements per minute.
“The frequency is on average around 250 Hertz,” says Zimmer.
As a third variant, there are brushes that vibrate in the ultrasonic range and thus in a much higher frequency range.
According to Dirk Kropp, managing director of the ProDente initiative, however, they do not play a major role in the mass market.
A question of cleaning technique and diligence
In terms of quality, i.e. with a view to cleaning performance, the differences between the two techniques, oscillating-rotating and vibrating, are not great, says Lea Sophie Lukas from Stiftung Warentest.
For whom which model is better suited, is more a question of cleaning technique and diligence.
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"If I am someone who is willing to deal intensively with the topic, then I do very well with a rotating-oscillating toothbrush," says Stefan Zimmer.
The rotating head is based on the technology used in professional tooth cleaning.
"But you have to learn how to brush your teeth again."
Get rid of plaque: Electric toothbrushes are considered more effective than manual toothbrushes
Source: dpa-tmn
With a rotating brush you have to brush each tooth individually for a few seconds, explains Stiftung Warentest.
It is also important to swivel the brush head into the spaces between the teeth.
Can be used like a manual toothbrush
According to product tester Lukas, those who brush more carelessly can reach several teeth at once with the sonic brush.
Dentist Zimmer adds: "The sonic toothbrush is more forgiving if you don't master the right technique." According to the professor, its greatest advantage is that it can in principle be used like a manual toothbrush.
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The so-called "bass technique" is usually recommended for cleaning by hand.
You place your toothbrush with the bristle ends at an angle of 45 degrees in the direction of the gums and make slight shaking movements.
This is supposed to loosen the plaque, which is then swept away with a wiping movement from the gums towards the chewing surfaces.
However, creating these shaking movements by hand is extremely difficult, according to Zimmer.
“Most of the time, this results in scrubbing movements that lead to cleaning damage.” However, a sonic toothbrush makes precisely these vibratory movements, and does so by itself.
According to Zimmer, several clinical studies have shown that the vibrating brushes are superior to a manual toothbrush.
Some brushes warn against too much pressure
If you know or if the dentist tells you that you are pressing too hard, you should be careful to choose an electric toothbrush with pressure control, advises Dirk Kropp.
Their brushes responded by flashing or humming if you pressed too hard.
“This is also partly offered by the brushes that don't cost the world,” says product tester Lukas.
Some smart toothbrushes warn with a light signal if you press too hard while brushing
Source: dpa-tmn
The Stiftung Warentest recently examined electric toothbrushes (“test” magazine, 12/2020 issue).
One of the findings from the report is: not only consider the purchase price, but also the follow-up costs.
You should find out how expensive the brush attachments are before buying.
Because they should be changed every three months, recommends Lukas
Use a harder toothbrush if the plaster is defective
Sometimes scrubbing causes so-called plaster defects.
If you notice wedge-shaped grooves in your tooth that have been created by brushing, Zimmer should use harder bristles, according to the dentist.
His reasoning: The scraping of the tooth neck substance is caused by abrasives in the toothpaste and depends on how intensively the toothbrush brings the abrasives into contact with the tooth surface.
A harder brush, however, only works with the bristle tip.
In addition, according to Zimmer, the area that comes into contact with the toothpaste is smaller than with a soft brush, the bristles of which give way.
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For stressed gums, on the other hand, a soft brush is better.
“Orientate yourself to what the main problem is or use a medium strength,” recommends Zimmer.
The time factor when brushing your teeth
No matter what level of hardness and which technology you ultimately choose.
The cleaning success is also a question of the time that you take for it.
“You shouldn't clean for less than two minutes,” advises Lea Sophie Lukas.
It is all the more gratifying that the slightly cheaper brushes now have a timer or a cleaning time signal.
However, Stefan Zimmer emphasizes: Everyone needs different lengths of time because the bits are very different.
By the way: even electric toothbrushes do not get the spaces between the teeth completely clean.
So dental floss or interdental brushes are still essential to clean these areas.
The latter is partly also available in an electric version.
How to really brush your teeth properly
Proper dental care is a challenge not only for the little ones, but also for many adults: which toothbrush, which toothpaste and which technology is the right one.
We have the most important tips.
Source: N24 / Daniela Will