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Maintaining your dental hygiene is an important part of preventing painful — and costly — conditions like gum disease and cavities. And one of the best ways to keep your teeth and gums happy is to brush daily to get rid of plaque and bacteria that can build up over time.
Electric toothbrushes and manual toothbrushes both provide different benefits and features, and either can be the right choice depending on your lifestyle and personal preferences. While manual toothbrushes may be better if you travel often, since they can easily be packed away and replaced, many electric toothbrushes have built-in functions like timers and various settings for different stages of cleaning.
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Naturally, the best person to ask for advice on the best toothbrushes to use are dentists, which is why we did the task for you. Below, you’ll find the toothbrushes that dentists actually use themselves — and why you should us them, too.
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1
Amazon
Oral-B Genius 6000 electric toothbrush
Dr. Aierress Davis, a dentist in Augusta, Georgia, named this toothbrush as her favorite because of its price point and the slew of necessary features you'll want in an electric toothbrush.
"Your toothbrush should have a pressure indicator to let you know when you’re brushing too hard. On the Oral B Genius 6000, the pressure indicator turns red and slows the speed of the brush if you’re brushing too aggressively during use. This is perfect to prevent things like gum recession or trauma!" Davis said.
She also likes the ability to replace the brush heads. "These should be replaced every 3 months for optimal cleaning. My personal preference is a circular brush head, and my most favorite to use is the Cross Action heads," she said.
"Your toothbrush should have a pressure indicator to let you know when you’re brushing too hard. On the Oral B Genius 6000, the pressure indicator turns red and slows the speed of the brush if you’re brushing too aggressively during use. This is perfect to prevent things like gum recession or trauma!" Davis said.
She also likes the ability to replace the brush heads. "These should be replaced every 3 months for optimal cleaning. My personal preference is a circular brush head, and my most favorite to use is the Cross Action heads," she said.
2
Amazon
Oral-B iO Series 9 electric toothbrush
Dr. Angela Abernathy, a dentist at New York City's Boutique Smiles, said she currently uses the series 9 model of Oral-B's iO electric toothbrush.
"I really like the electric brushes because they have technology that prevent you from brushing too hard. If there is too much pressure, the brush will either stop or stall to prevent damage to your teeth and gums. Also, the iO has a light around the head that will turn red if there is too much pressure, blue if there isn’t enough pressure and green if the pressure is just right. They also have timers that make sure you are brushing for at least two minutes. One other thing I like about the iO is that there is an app you can download to sync with your phone and evaluate your brushing over time. I especially highlight this feature for my patients," Abernathy said.
"I really like the electric brushes because they have technology that prevent you from brushing too hard. If there is too much pressure, the brush will either stop or stall to prevent damage to your teeth and gums. Also, the iO has a light around the head that will turn red if there is too much pressure, blue if there isn’t enough pressure and green if the pressure is just right. They also have timers that make sure you are brushing for at least two minutes. One other thing I like about the iO is that there is an app you can download to sync with your phone and evaluate your brushing over time. I especially highlight this feature for my patients," Abernathy said.
3
Walgreens
Oral-B Genius 9600 electric toothbrush
Dr. Judy Yip, a pediatric dentist at Lollipop Dental in Garden Grove, California, is a fan of the Genius 9600 model.
"There are so many built-in features that help you build healthy oral hygiene habits, such as a small round brush head that allows you to get into hard-to-reach areas, a built-in brushing timer that indicates how long you should be brushing and my favorite feature is the pressure indicator that lights up when you are putting too much pressure on your gums — a total game changer since most people are not aware that they are brushing too hard," Yip said.
"There are so many built-in features that help you build healthy oral hygiene habits, such as a small round brush head that allows you to get into hard-to-reach areas, a built-in brushing timer that indicates how long you should be brushing and my favorite feature is the pressure indicator that lights up when you are putting too much pressure on your gums — a total game changer since most people are not aware that they are brushing too hard," Yip said.
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4
Amazon
A pack of Colgate Extra Clean soft toothbrushes
While electric toothbrushes remain a popular choice for dental hygiene, Dr. Joke Alesh, a Rhode Island-based dentist, opts for Colgate's soft-bristled manual toothbrush.
"It comes in a low-cost 6-pack and I buy them in bulk so I can change my toothbrush monthly. When it comes to tooth brushing, the most important thing to me is the bristles. Flattened, worn bristles do not effectively displace plaque. I know I wouldn't change expensive or complicated brush heads as often," Alesh said.
"It comes in a low-cost 6-pack and I buy them in bulk so I can change my toothbrush monthly. When it comes to tooth brushing, the most important thing to me is the bristles. Flattened, worn bristles do not effectively displace plaque. I know I wouldn't change expensive or complicated brush heads as often," Alesh said.
5
Amazon
Oral-B iO Series 8 electric toothbrush
Florida dentist Dr. Jordan Brown reaches for the series 8 model of Oral-B's iO collection, which has a "super sensitive" pressure setting.
"I use the Oral-B iO series 8 electric toothbrush because it has an app I use to live-track my brushing, it has a built-in pressure sensor and it has a timer," Brown said.
"I use the Oral-B iO series 8 electric toothbrush because it has an app I use to live-track my brushing, it has a built-in pressure sensor and it has a timer," Brown said.
6
Amazon
Oral-B iO Series 6 electric toothbrush
This Oral-B iO model features five cleaning modes — daily clean, sensitive, intense, whitening and gum care — and is used by Dr. Aaleeyah P. Alim, a Rockford, Illinois-based dentist.
"The round head cleans the gum line so nicely. I can always feel the difference as opposed to when I have used other toothbrush shapes. I’m generally a fan of electric toothbrushes over manual because they commonly offer a built-in timer to make sure we are brushing the full two minutes, as well as extra movement to disturb the layer of plaque that forms on the teeth throughout the day and night," Alim said.
"The round head cleans the gum line so nicely. I can always feel the difference as opposed to when I have used other toothbrush shapes. I’m generally a fan of electric toothbrushes over manual because they commonly offer a built-in timer to make sure we are brushing the full two minutes, as well as extra movement to disturb the layer of plaque that forms on the teeth throughout the day and night," Alim said.
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7
Target
Philips Sonicare DiamondClean toothbrush
Dr. Joyce Kahng, a dentist in Orange County, California, said her favorite toothbrush is this model from Philips, which has three intensity levels and four cleaning modes: clean, white+, deep clean+ and gum health.
"The brush itself is great and the technology has several modes and functions that help keep patients on track. Personally, I tend to brush with a heavy hand, especially when I am tired, so I especially appreciate how there is a pressure sensor that buzzes when I am exerting too much pressure. Brushing too aggressively can wear down the enamel more quickly over time," Kahng said.
"The brush itself is great and the technology has several modes and functions that help keep patients on track. Personally, I tend to brush with a heavy hand, especially when I am tired, so I especially appreciate how there is a pressure sensor that buzzes when I am exerting too much pressure. Brushing too aggressively can wear down the enamel more quickly over time," Kahng said.
8
Anthropologie
Cocofloss Cocobrush toothbrush
When Kahng is on the go, she said she uses this super soft-bristled manual toothbrush from Cocobrush. It also has an angled brush head to get hard-to-reach areas.
"My favorite manual toothbrush is the Cocobrush by Cocofloss. It is the toothbrush I keep in my travel bag since I have no patience to charge up an electric toothbrush while traveling," Kahng said. "The Cocobrush has soft, multilayered wispy bristles that help effectively clean along the gum line. Best manual toothbrush I've used!"
"My favorite manual toothbrush is the Cocobrush by Cocofloss. It is the toothbrush I keep in my travel bag since I have no patience to charge up an electric toothbrush while traveling," Kahng said. "The Cocobrush has soft, multilayered wispy bristles that help effectively clean along the gum line. Best manual toothbrush I've used!"