In 1954, the Swiss doctor Philippe Guy Woog invented the first usable electric toothbrush called the Broxodent. It was plugged in and was originally designed for people with motor impairments and orthodontic patients.
Today, they are increasingly used by all categories of people and are recognized for the benefits they offer.
Many recent studies have shown that electric toothbrushes remove more plaque than a manual toothbrush. They are also useful for people with gingivitis.
Another advantage of these toothbrushes is that they prevent the patient from brushing aggressively, as the latest toothbrushes are equipped with a pressure sensor.
The mechanical brushing time is shorter and much more efficient, removing up to 75% of plaque in about 1 minute, as opposed to the traditional 6 minutes needed to remove the same amount of plaque with a manual brush.
Electric toothbrushes also have the advantage of a built-in timer, which alerts the user with specific vibrations that the 2 minutes for brushing are over.
Today’s electric toothbrushes are cordless. They are powered by batteries placed in the handle. These batteries can be removed by the user and replaced, or most commonly they are internally fixed and rechargeable. The most common battery life is about 14 days.
The bristles of the toothbrush can be hard, soft or extra-soft, and the size of the active head can be different depending on the age of the user, larger in adults and smaller in children. This head needs replacing every 3 months.
There are several categories of electric toothbrushes. The main difference is the way the active head moves:
Rotary: The head performs circular motions from 3000 to 7500 cycles per minute.
Sonic: These use lateral movement at about 10 times the speed of a rotating toothbrush – about 31,000 cycles per minute.
Ultrasonic: The rapid side-to-side motion creates vibrations that can dislodge plaque.
Ionic: The brush head doesn’t move, but the brush releases a stream of negative ions that change the polarity of the tooth, removing plaque even from areas less accessible to a normal toothbrush. They are made in Japan.
Some electric toothbrushes have apps that monitor how you brush your teeth.
With these, you can visualize how well you are brushing and follow the prompts to get the most effective brushing.
Brushing technique Before starting the electric toothbrush, the toothpaste will be spread with it on all dental surfaces, after which brushing will begin. It is useful to divide your oral cavity into 4 quadrants: top, bottom, left, right.
This can help you brush each section of your teeth. You can start with any of the quadrants and you should allow about 30 seconds for each quadrant as you brush each area of your teeth.
The brush is positioned at a 45֯ angle to the long axis of the tooth, and its bristles are kept in contact with the tooth surfaces as much as possible to perform an effective brushing.
Both the outer and inner surfaces of the teeth should be brushed.
