In 2010, only 10% of French people used an electric brush. Today, nearly 20% have already taken the plunge. Choosing your brush can seem a bit complicated, especially with all the options available today. While we all know that taking care of our teeth is important, deciding which brush to use can be a real headache! Find out in this article what your selection criteria should be and what benefits you can get from manual and electric toothbrushes .
The benefits of each type of toothbrush
Each type of brush has strong points that you should know to choose your brushing “tool”.
Advantages of the manual toothbrush
This type of accessory:
- Is light;
- Is easy to transport;
- Does not require recharging;
- Can be used at any time of the day.
Advantages of the electric toothbrush
This type of accessory has a number of advantages. Discover them below.
They do all the work for you (or almost!)
Are you too lazy to brush your teeth? Transform the chore of brushing your teeth into a fun moment. Simply move slowly from one tooth to the next using gentle rotating movements to cover all areas. And that's all you have to do!
They increase the duration of brushing
If, like the average French person, you brush your teeth for 43 seconds, the electric toothbrush will help you respect the recommendations of dentists , namely cleaning your teeth for at least two minutes.
As some accessories are equipped with a timer, you no longer need to calculate your brushing time yourself. Your “tool” does it for you and alerts you when the time is up.
With them, say goodbye to dental plaque!
An electric brush cleans teeth by creating bristle movement with rapid speed and ability to reach an inaccessible oral area. It is generally more expensive, but it is well worth purchasing. You still need to know how to choose your electric toothbrush !
We can distinguish 2 categories of electric toothbrush by taking into account their speeds and movements. 🧭
The sonic electric toothbrush
After each of your meals, a thin white or yellowish film is created on the surface of your teeth. This is called dental plaque. It is made up of food residues and bacteria and is the cause of tartar . It can also be responsible for cavities and gum or mouth disease if not removed properly.
An electric brush removes plaque more effectively than a manual toothbrush. According to numerous studies, it reduces dental plaque up to 10 times more than its manual counterpart.
By switching to electric, forget about bleeding!
76% of French people say they regularly suffer from bleeding gums when they brush their teeth. Is this also your case? Be aware that this bleeding occurs when cleaning is too aggressive , and the bristles are too stiff for the gums.
Electric toothbrushes can significantly reduce this phenomenon thanks to their brushing method . They move from one tooth to another without pressing too hard on your teeth.
Furthermore, these brushes are often equipped with soft bristles, which are less aggressive on the gums and allow better cleaning of the small spaces between your teeth.
Manual and electric: what are the weak points?
Each type of brush also has some weak points .
The weak points of the classic toothbrush
When you don't put the right amount of pressure on your teeth, you can unknowingly damage your enamel . The least we can say is that the manual requires good technique to remove dental plaque effectively!
Furthermore, the manual toothbrush cannot reach every corner of your mouth. After a while, this can lead to oral hygiene problems.
Also note that to respect the two-minute duration, it is necessary to have brought a watch or your phone with you.
The weak points of the electric brush
Its main weak point is obviously its price . This is not always accessible to small budgets. Furthermore, it sometimes requires a bulky, heavy base or frequent recharging. This is not necessarily ideal when traveling!
In addition, you must make sure that you have recharged your brush if you want to do an unexpected brushing in the middle of the afternoon!
Some people may need time to get used to the special feel and movements of this type of brush.
Electric vs manual toothbrush comparison table
Type of toothbrush 🪥 |
Electric toothbrush ⚡️ |
Manual toothbrush ✋ |
|
Head |
Removable and multiple |
Fixed and unique |
| Type of movement |
Oscillatory Rotary Vertical |
Depending on user attendance |
Movement speed |
10,000 oscillations per minute 31,000 to 40,000 beats per minute |
Slow |
Brushing modes |
Between 3 and 16 brushing modes |
1 brushing mode |
Security |
Yes |
No |
Detection of high pressures |
For some |
No |
Timer |
For some |
No |
Attractiveness for young people |
Playful and fun side |
None |
Practicality for reduced motor skills |
Yes |
No |
Removal of dental plaque |
Very effective |
Not very effective |
| Price |
Between €40 and €330 |
3 to 5 € on average |
Weight |
Between 77 g and 490 g |
Between 70 and 100 g |
Respect the environment |
Yes because reusable |
No because disposable |
Looking for the perfect toothbrush?
Are you looking for simplicity? In this case, a classic brush will do the job perfectly. On the other hand, if you are looking for a technological boost to make your brushing more efficient, electric will be the optimal solution for you.
Whether you simply want to take care of your teeth, or are looking for a more in-depth cleaning, know that there is always an accessory for each of us!
Take stock of your needs and use the comparison table to find the brush that best meets what you are looking for.
