Nowadays, there is more and more publicity about electric toothbrushes, and they are selling very well. At the same time, the traditional manual toothbrush still occupies the main position in the supermarket oral cleaning supplies, most people still use manual toothbrushes. Some people expressed doubts: this overwhelmingly said that the electric toothbrush good article, will be purely electric toothbrush manufacturers of marketing behavior? Some people are skeptical: the brush head of an electric toothbrush looks so small and has little movement, can it really brush clean inside and out? Will it hurt the teeth and gums? In this article, we will explore this topic: from a professional point of view, for oral health, electric toothbrush is really better than manual toothbrush? No matter how to brush, the method is the most important, and the most important thing is to insist The American Dental Association recommends that we brush our teeth twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, and the vast majority of people do the same. However, the modified “Pasteurized Brushing Method” recommended by dentists is still a little complicated for the average person. The technique requires “45°”, “gentle pressure on the teeth”, “a little bit of gum coverage”, “short horizontal movements”, etc. According to a study, no more than 30% of adults can stick to this method for more than a week after learning it, and even fewer can stick to it for a long period of time [1]. Also, manual brushing is often very haphazard, with some people brushing quickly, whereas dentists usually want people to brush for 2 minutes, which is about 30% more effective than 1-minute brushing. For most people, even if you emphasize the importance of brushing time, they still brush for a little more than 1 minute [2]. Perhaps a regular toothbrush can be very effective when “brushing correctly”, but there are too many lazy people in the world, and you are probably one of them. Fig. 1 Modified ‘Pasteurized brushing method’ recommended by dentists Electric toothbrushes, more than just ‘manual toothbrush enhancements’ There are two basic types of mainstream electric toothbrushes currently on sale, the rotary vibrating type, also known as left-right rotating type, and the sonic type. One is the rotary vibration type, also known as the left-right rotation type; the other is the sonic type. The rotary vibration type is actually a high-speed clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the brush head, and some models also include high-frequency back-and-forth oscillation of the entire brush head. Sonic type is not using sound waves to clean, just its movement frequency (more than 260 times per second) in the human ear audible range, hence the name. In fact, from the point of view of the working principle, the electric toothbrush works in a way that a manual toothbrush cannot reach in any way. The rotary vibrating type is like an automatic car wash, which is equivalent to rapid brushing in all directions around the teeth; while the sonic type toothbrush, although similar in usage to the manual, brushes at a much higher amplitude and frequency than the manual. Figure 2 Two common types of electric toothbrushes: rotary vibrating and sonic. Regular use, electric toothbrushes are more effective Regardless of the principle, we evaluate which type of toothbrush is better mainly on the basis of the actual results. The most important part of brushing is to remove plaque. Plaque can erode the surface of the teeth and lead to tooth decay, and long-term adhesion to the teeth can also lead to gingivitis and other problems. From these two aspects, rotary vibrating toothbrushes have obvious advantages. 27 studies over the past 20 years have found that after three months of use, those who used rotary vibrating toothbrushes had 21% less plaque and 11% less gingivitis than those who used manual toothbrushes [3]. However, the effectiveness of sonic electric toothbrushes has not been fully proven. There are fewer studies available, and those that do exist have not found this type of electric toothbrush to be any more effective than a manual toothbrush [3]. Of course, sonic toothbrushes are improving and may evolve to be more effective in the future as well. Concerns about electric toothbrushes harming teeth and gums have also been proven to be unnecessary: regular use of electric toothbrushes does not harm teeth or soft tissues, and is less damaging to the gums than manual brushing [4]. Pay attention to the method and change the brush head regularly The use of the rotating and vibrating electric toothbrush is special and is highlighted here, you can search for videos on the internet to help you understand: Hold the brush handle gently with your fingers, place the brush head into the mouth first, then turn on the switch Make the bristles at an angle and place them at the junction of the teeth and gums, in a fixed position Gently rotate and vibrate the brush head for a few seconds, then change the position, paying attention to cover each time Previous position Guide the brush head along the gum line Do not miss any areas, including the inner and lower surfaces of the teeth and the back of the back teeth Do not press or rub hard while brushing In addition, electric toothbrushes need to be replaced with a new brush head every 3 months. If you find electric toothbrushes too expensive and still insist on brushing manually, that’s fine. Learn to brush correctly by using the “Pasteur Brushing Method” and stick to it for a long time. Choose a toothbrush with soft bristles that suits your needs and replace it regularly. Using a manual toothbrush properly and regularly for a long period of time will also achieve good cleaning results, depending on whether you can stick to it or not. This article is exclusively authorized by the author for use by Dr. Clove, and authorized for publication by Zhihu and Zhihu Daily.