Electric Toothbrushes

Electric toothbrushes, sometimes called power toothbrushes, use thousands more brush strokes per minute than a manual toothbrush. But there are many more reasons to use an electric toothbrush, including how gently they clean your teeth. Brushing your teeth can improve gum health, but if you tend to brush too hard, it can do more harm than good to your gums. A powered toothbrush can be more gentle on your gums while still giving you a powerful clean. Electric toothbrushes also make it easier to brush longer since they do the work for you, and they fight both gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and halitosis (bad breath) by helping you reach hard-to-reach spots.

Sonic: With sonic toothbrushes, the brush head vibrates back and forth. This side-to-side motion is similar to what you do with a manual toothbrush, but with much smaller and incredibly fast brush strokes, generally about 30,000 to 40,000 strokes per minute.

Oscillating or rotating: Oscillating or rotating brushes have round brush heads that spin extremely fast in one direction, then the other, generating thousands of brush strokes per minute. Bristles may also pulsate in and out. The small round heads make them easier to maneuver around your teeth.

Made for kids: Children’s electric toothbrushes tend to have smaller brush heads designed for smaller mouths. Some have two-minute timers that play music, different power modes for little kids and big kids, and boxier shapes so the brush doesn't roll away when applying toothpaste.