Electric toothbrushes appeared in the middle of the last century and by now have managed to acquire unprecedented popularity, as evidenced by the variety of existing forms and models.
At the same time, there are people who are just about to purchase their first brush, and they will have to face all the difficulties of choosing the right product. What should you pay special attention to in order to buy a high-quality and useful thing?
A visit to the dentist is the first thing to do before buying a toothbrush.
The best brush is the one that fits the person perfectly. As a rule, serious manufacturers of such products recommend consulting a dentist, since the use of such devices has contraindications. There are few of them, but the advice of a specialist will never be superfluous.
Brush type selection
There are currently three types of brushes. All of them are powered by electricity, but have a unique cleaning principle.
- mechanical type. The cleaning head of such a brush moves, removing food debris and plaque. The number of oscillations for different models and under different modes can be from 5 to 30 thousand per minute.
- sound type. These brushes have a built-in high-frequency generator. The number of oscillations of the cleaning head reaches 30 thousand, while they have an amplitude sufficient to simulate the so-called sweeping movements. This allows you to clean your teeth well, but gently, using not only mechanical capabilities, but also sound waves.
- ultrasonic type. The device has a built-in ultrasound frequency generator. Its operating frequency is about 1.6 MHz, which allows the cleaning head to make a record number of movements — up to one hundred million. With the quality of the sweeping movements, things are much worse than the previous type, but the brushes are cleaned thanks to ultrasound, which removes plaque, microbes and bacteria from the surface of the enamel.
Sovet expert! In the matter of choosing the best of the three types, the advice of a dentist will come in handy. All toothbrushes affect the condition of the teeth in different ways. For example, an ultrasound wave can adversely affect tooth tissues due to the difference in their density, so such devices are not recommended for people with fillings or pins.
Source of power
There are two of them: batteries or batteries. The fundamental difference in terms of cleaning quality is that brushes with batteries are more powerful, have more movement options and replaceable heads, so they clean better. Everything else is a matter of personal preference.
Battery-powered brushes need to be charged, so there is no need to spend money on batteries and make sure that there is a supply of power sources at home all the time. As a rule, such models are even equipped with a charge indicator, and at the right time you can always put the device to charge. It is very convenient for home use.
Those who often have to leave home without the opportunity to charge the batteries at any time, on the contrary, will appreciate models with batteries. Having a spare set is sometimes easier than charging.
Bristle stiffness
Most often, buyers prefer medium-hard bristles, but you need to remember that an electric toothbrush cleans more intensively than a conventional one. If there are concerns about the impact of the device on enamel and gums, it is better to first purchase the option with soft bristles, and then change the nozzle if you wish.
Expert advice! Usually cleaning heads have bristles made of artificial bristles, but some people are allergic to this material. Especially for them, nozzles made of natural bristles were created, but they are produced in much smaller quantities, so you should find out in advance the possibility of buying replacement nozzles for your brush.
Nozzle movements
Everything is simple here: the more types of movement the nozzle can make, the better it cleans the teeth and the more expensive the brush itself is. In the most budget models, the cleaning head simply moves in a circle without changing direction. As it is now fashionable to say, this is 1-D technology.
2-D is already more difficult, the nozzle performs reciprocating oscillations, allowing you to better clean your teeth. The most difficult option is 3-D. Here, pulsating movements are added to the reciprocating ones, which ensures the effective removal of plaque.
Set of nozzles
The main types of nozzles are universal “daily cleaning”, “whitening” for lovers of tea, coffee and cigarettes, and “for sensitive teeth”. This is a typical mid-range brush kit. Inexpensive models are equipped with only one nozzle, which does not exclude the possibility of buying the rest, and a whole range is attached to expensive specimens.
Expert advice! There are brushes of a universal plan, with four nozzles of the same type, each of which is marked with a color. This option is very convenient for the whole family.
Size and shape of cleaning heads
The brush head must fit your teeth. The optimal size is considered to be one that covers two teeth at once. If more, then it will be difficult for the bristles to reach the most secluded places, and a small one, although capable of cleaning anywhere, increases the duration of the procedure.
Number of operating modes
Best of all will be those brushes that have several operating modes. This allows you to adjust the speed of the cleaning head, the quality of cleaning, use the device for massage or enamel polishing.
Availability of additional functions
In order to make the device truly “smart”, manufacturers equip it with a variety of additional features that make cleaning as efficient, convenient and safe as possible. Among them are:
- Charging indicator that signals the need to recharge the batteries. With this function, the device will always be in working order.
- Color-coded bristles to help you determine how worn they are. The nozzles of electric brushes need to be changed, and the color of the bristles will warn of the onset of such a moment.
- The presence of a display that displays the operating mode, time, charging and other useful information.
- Timer. Since electric toothbrushes have a serious mechanical effect on tooth enamel, brushing time should be limited so as not to harm the teeth. The timer will help you not to get carried away cleaning and stop the procedure in time.
- pressure sensor. Another «smart» function that controls the pressure when cleaning to avoid damaging the enamel. If the sensor considers that the brush manipulation is too intense, it will warn about this with a sound signal.
Brush weight
It may seem that this is not the most important quality of the device, but in reality it should also be given attention. A device weighing more than 150-200 grams is very inconvenient to hold in your hand, and this has to be done at least twice a day. Someone is able to get used to, but there are those who prefer to change the brush.
When choosing a product in a store, you need to estimate its weight, how comfortable it is in your hand, if there is a risk of dropping it. If something does not suit you, it is better to look at a few more similar models — suddenly one of them will be more convenient.
Manufacturer
Well-known brands should be preferred. The cost of their products is higher than the products of little-known companies, but those who think that they overpay only for advertising and beautiful packaging are deeply mistaken.
Reputable manufacturers value their reputation, so the chances of buying a product of dubious quality are extremely small. This confirms the warranty period given by the manufacturer.
And the high price is also due to the fact that well-known companies conduct research to improve products, invent and test new devices, attract first-class specialists to work, and control quality. Naturally, this requires financial costs, which is reflected in the price of finished products.
Electric toothbrushes are a very useful invention. It takes quite a long time to brush your teeth with a regular brush, but the monotonous movements from day to day get boring, and few people follow the instructions of dentists. And the electric analog allows you to reduce this time, while the quality of cleaning is only improving. However, the device can harm the teeth if its choice is taken without due seriousness, so you need to choose the right brush.