Shopping For An Electric Toothbrush? 3 Features You Should Look For

If you are thinking about switching from your manual toothbrush to a state-of-the-art electric version, you might be stumped when you start researching your options. Power toothbrushes boast an impressive array of features, including different bristle configurations, alerts, and even brushing patterns. However, here are three features you should look for, and why they might be especially helpful:

1: Pressure Sensors

Sure, applying more pressure might work well when you scrub your shower, but when it comes to your teeth, excess friction is a bad thing. In addition to damaging the soft tissues in your mouth, brushing your teeth too hard can also erode enamel, leading to dental sensitivity, discoloration, and even indentations on the surface of your teeth. Fortunately, electric toothbrushes with pressure sensors can help you to identify and resolve aggressive brushing habits.

As soon as pressure sensors detect excess friction, they send you a message. While some models are designed to beep or light up when too much pressure is applied, others temporarily pause until you let off the gas. In addition to preventing dental damage, this feature can also help you to notice which areas you are applying too much pressure. For example, you might notice that you unintentionally brush too hard every time you brush the back of your teeth, or whenever you tackle those molars.

2: Application Connectivity

Your home automation system isn't the only thing that can connect to your smartphone. Believe it or not, some modern toothbrushes are even designed with application connectivity, so that you can track your progress. Here are a few perks that smart toothbrushes offer:

• Improves Habits: Smart toothbrushes contain devices such as accelerometers and gyroscopes to track the angle, tilt, and acceleration of your toothbrush. After it collects this information, it compiles the data into easy to read information that can help you to understand your brushing style. For example, you might notice that you frequently miss the area around your eyeteeth, or that you only brush an average of a minute a day. After you know what you are doing wrong, you can take steps to correct your ways.   
• Keeps Kids Interested: Some smart toothbrushes even connect to kid-friendly applications to make brushing fun. Instead of simply viewing a chart of their teeth, your kids might be able to scrub away the monsters or meet goals. 
• Helps Dentists to Target Problems: After all of this information is collected, you can view a comprehensive report on your smartphone to show to your dentist. This information might be particularly helpful for people who don't have time to evaluate their own brushing habits, or for parents who have kids that don't like to talk about their teeth. Your dentist can evaluate the information to target problems early, before they cause dental damage.

If you are worried about your brushing habit information getting out into the open, you shouldn't be. Because your toothbrush is mirror-mounted to your smartphone through Bluetooth, it will only be able to collect data whenever the toothbrush and your smartphone are close.

3: Rotating-Oscillating Movements

Although all of those self-powered toothbrushes might seem the same, versions with rotating, oscillating movements are a little different. In addition to moving in a rotary formation, oscillating bristles also pulse in and out to create additional movements. While traditional rotary brushes spin at around 1,300 to 8,800 movements per minutes, brushes that also oscillate can create as many as 40,000 pulses per minute—blasting away plaque.

In addition to quickly sweeping away grime, rotating-oscillating bristles can also provide non-contact cleaning. When a brush moves fast enough, the power can actually dislodge plaque where the bristles don't actually touch, because it pushes additional fluid around your teeth.

By finding the right electric toothbrush, you might be able to prevent dental problems and enjoy a sparkling, beautiful smile. For more information on choosing the best toothbrush, talk to a dentist from a clinic like Dental Associates PC.