We are honored to have been asked to contribute to an expert roundup regarding whether electric or manual toothbrushes are better for supporting oral health.ย
We often find that while they can be helpful, such blog posts tend to leave out much information in order to appeal to the internet mentality of, ‘Can I read it in less than 5 minutes?’.
So, rather than just leave it with our ’50 words or less’ answer, we decided to give you our full discussion on the subject here! ๐
In our opinion, the question, ‘which is better, electric or manual brushes?’ is a little too narrow. It’s missing some important considerations.ย Let’s expand this a bit and give it the attention it deserves.
As we consider the reasons why brushing is so important, we see several tooth-brushing-related questions that could be addressed, including:
- What is the best method to reduce the plaque (biofilm) which is implicated with tooth decay?ย Is electric or manual brushing more helpful for this application?
- If electric is superior, which brand/style of brush performs the best?ย
- If manual is the way to go, which brand/style/brushing technique performs the best (and why)?ย
- Where is the research that shows this benefit?ย
- What do clinicians report when it comes to electric or manual brushing and their relative effectiveness at reducing plaque?
- Since the foods that we consume on a regular basis can influence the plaque in our mouths, when clinicians found plaque, did they take the patient’s diet into consideration?
- What about brushing to reduce gum disease–is electric brushing or manual brushing more helpful for this application?
I’m sure each of us can easily add some additional related questions to this list.
(For full disclosure, we are not medical or dental professionals.ย We are self-educated, and we draw from our own personal experiences, as well as our experience creating a global brand that helps people navigate to greater oral health.)
With all of this on the table, let’s jump into the most important aspect to consider when it comes to the electric vs. manual brushing issue…
HOW you brush is more important than WHAT you brush with. – OraWellness.com
In other words, it is somewhat important to consider what tool you’re using to brush your teeth. However, if your goal is to navigate to greater oral health, then being mindful of how you brush is even more important.
How much conscious attention are you applying when brushing?ย
We feel that our level of awareness/attention while brushing is a much more critical factor than whether we’re using a manual brush, electric brush, brushing stick (miswak), etc.ย
After all, any tool we use in the mouth can help or harm depending on how we’re using it. Are we brushing gently and consciously, or are we quickly and mindlessly scrubbing away just to ‘get it done’ prior to rushing out the door?
Any tool is only as useful as the amount of skill and attention with which we use it.
Our attention is one of the most precious resources we have.ย We’ve found that the best way for us to get the most benefit out of an activity is to choose to give our attention to one task at a time.ย
This also applies to our efforts to support our mouths (and bodies, too).
If we use conscious awareness while brushing, we can more effectively navigate to greater oral health. You see, consistent, gentle, and conscious brushing efforts help reduce plaque accumulation, disrupt ‘thug bugs’, and gently stimulate gum tissue.
However, if we go about the twice-daily brushing habit with the same unconscious, overly vigorous technique that we used when we first learned how to brush our teeth as toddlers, then over the years we may end up with receding gums and reduced enamel on our teeth.ย
Yup, repeatedly brushing in a rough, unconscious way is a common contributing factor in gum recession and enamel etching.
So, before we jump into considering what tools to use, we must first bring more conscious attention to our brushing.ย
The goal here is to get into the habit of brushing gently, thoroughly, and mindfully. We definitely want to avoid the temptation to take a mental vacation while scrubbing away.
For a deeper dive on brushing strategies, feel free to check out our articles, “How To Brush Your Teeth To Reduce Gum Disease” and “How to avoid 3 common tooth brushing mistakes that can damage your teeth and gums“.
Action step:
Here’s an exercise that anyone can do to bring more attention to their oral hygiene routine.ย It’s really simple: have a date with your mouth! ๐ย
What we mean is actually sit down somewhere comfortable and explore gently cleaning your teeth without a time limitation.ย After all, whoever said 2 minutes was the golden rule for brushing your teeth anyway?
Incidentally, here’s an article we wrote to explore the common question, โHow long should I brush my teeth?โ
To do this exercise, gently brush until you can sweep your tongue over all the surfaces of your teeth and find no plaque.ย
Some areas will require a little more support than others. It may take a few times of stopping, feeling around with your tongue, and then going back over it until you feel zero plaque.ย
The areas behind the back molars and behind the lower front teeth tend to be particularly challenging. Here’s an article that explains more on how to remove plaque from lower front teeth.
Remember, bring conscious awareness to the task.ย
We aren’t scrubbing away to get it done as quickly as we can (as over the years, this can lead to issues like receding gums).ย
We are taking our time, gently brushing a little, feeling for more plaque, and gently brushing more where needed.ย
The first time you try this, we suggest you do so with no paste; just use a moistened brush so that your tongue can really feel what’s going on.
If you want to take your oral health to the next level, here is an exercise that we consider to be the first step to dental self-empowerment. This simple exercise is super helpful for anyone who wants to make massive positive changes in their oral health.
Wrapping up…
So, the next time you’re brushing, notice how you’re doing it.ย Are you gently yet thoroughly cleaning your teeth or are you mindlessly scrubbing away?
In our next blog post, “Electric vs manual brushing… Which is better? part 2“, we’ll discuss different toothbrush options as well as their strengths and weaknesses in helping us navigate the path to greater oral health.
What about you?ย What do you prefer when it comes to manual or electric toothbrushes (and why)?ย What works for you?ย Please post your comments below so we can all learn from each other! ๐
Keep shining your Light!ย Show the world your SMILE!
Aloha!
Helpful, Related Resources:
4 reasons why brushing is so important [article]
How To Brush Your Teeth To Reduce Gum Disease [[article & video tutorials]]
How to avoid 3 common tooth brushing mistakes that can damage your teeth and gums [article]
How long should I brush my teeth? [article]
How do I remove plaque from lower front teeth? [article]
The First Step to Dental Self Empowerment [article + free download]
Electric vs manual brushing… Which is better? part 2 [article]
Bass Toothbrushes [product solution]
Hi. Thanks for all your honest information on oral health. I go between Oral B and Bass. My favorite electric toothbrush ~~ Interplak ~~ they do not make anymore. I am Electro-Hyper Sensitive and I’m okay brushing with the Oral B. I take steps to ground myself.
Thanks to Will for your wonderful article. I prefer the electric toothbrush instead of the manual toothbrush. The reason behind this is; the electric toothbrush can do much more movement than the manual 1, the two minute timer is an extraordinary edition, in some cases, the electric toothbrush cake eliminates 7 times more plate than the manual, has a variety of modes for sensitive oral. One of the unique features that we can not get from the manual toothbrush. The electric toothbrush offers a variety of options for children that make them interested in brushing.
Since ancient times, manual toothbrushes are taking care of our teeth. But the thing is the way in which an electric toothbrush can give a manual toothbrush to the perfection of our oral system.
ฤฑt depends on your brushing techniques and how often you brush your teeth. if you brush your teeth regularly , ฤฑ recommend electric toothbrush.because it has more powerful technigues than manual brushing.
It contains huge amount of information. Thank you for great posting. I like it.
sonic care
Thank’s Will for your wonderful article. I prefer electric toothbrush rather than manual toothbrush. The reason behind it are; electric toothbrush can make far more movement than we can make through manual one, the two minute timer is extraordinary edition, in some cases electric toothbrush cake remove 7 times more plaque than manual one, they got variety of modes for sensitive oral, Gum care is one of the unique feature that we can’t get from manual toothbrush. Electric toothbrush comes up with a variety of choice for the kids which make them interested in brushing.
From the ancient time manual toothbrushes are taking care of our tooth. But the thing is the way an electric toothbrush can give perfection of our oral system a manual toothbrush canโt.
I prefer manual toothbrush than the electrical one. I’ve never tried electric toothbrush before and that’s maybe because I get used to the manual and that I was able to manipulate it by myself.
I truly appreciate this blog article.Really thank you! Will read onโฆ
oral toothbrush
Thanks for this excellent article! I am using an Oral-B electric toothbrush and I must say it’s really easy to use and I definitely think that my brushing habits improved since I’ve started to use it.
Great Blog post! Very helpful tips. I guess i am the 2 minutes brush guy as well. I will try to give it a bit more time. My teeth will certainly benefit from it.
Hehe Daniel.
I hear you. We all tend to start thinking that 2 minutes is the golden rule for brushing.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for this post. My husband and I are using your Healthy Mouth Blend with the Bass toothbrush. We both still use our electric toothbrushes too. A hard habit to give up! My husband “scrubs” his teeth hard which is evident by the flayed bristles in his brush. So this post may help convince him it’s worth it to try to break that habit. Could you please comment on a mouth wash called “Biotene”? I have severe dry mouth and this mouth wash helps a lot. Biotene has two types of Oral Rinse: a Regular one and one with PBF which purports to loosen Plaque-BioFilm. Thanks for all your posts and educational videos. They are all very helpful as we try to navigate the road to better oral health.
well, thanks for not addressing the question at all. Not that its not useful information, but kinda misleading dont’ you think? Especially after all the hullaballoo about your answer being too thorough to spell out in less than 50 words. Maybe you should have tried.
Good thing we all don’t have to want the same thing, right Ken? We aspire to help others navigate to greater oral health. I’ve learned that if I don’t have something helpful to say, then perhaps not say anything at all.
Blessings to you.
Will and Susan, Thanks so much for your opinion! It was a pleasure to feature your voice in our expert roundup.
Anyway, I use an oral-b electric toothbrush and find the following benefits:
– I brush for the full 2 minutes every single time.
– I brush every quadrant of my mouth.
I didn’t brush for the recommended amount of time with my manual toothbrush, and I basically brushed randomly without reaching every angle of my mouth.
I’m very satisfied with my powered toothbrush and i think it’s worth giving it a try! There are models priced under $40, which are effective and affordable.
Agreed! Oil pulling is a very useful practice. This article describes why and how to include oil pulling into your routine. http://orawellness.com/what-is-oil-pulling/
I highly doubt 20 minutes of oil pulling (as recommended by Gwyneth Paltrow) is better than 2 minutes of brushing with electric toothbrush, using a toothpaste designed specifically to remove plaque and bacteria + flossing for 1 minute with a water flosser.
There’s been no clinical proof of oil pulling efficiency and I’m sure ancient Indians who invented it would prefer flossing and tooth brushing if they had the technology. ๐
Aloha Matt,
Thanks for stopping by and adding your perspective to the subject. For clarity, there has been significant clinical proof on the efficiency of oil pulling. Many clinical trials have been performed to show the many benefits of oil pulling. That said, I agree with you that it’s not one or the other. All types of oral hygiene serve their purpose.
Enjoyed your Electric vs Manual Brushing information. After this article I never take another mental vacation while brushing. Oral health is vital to our body.
The Bass Brush is superior. It cleans teeth and stimulates gums without harming them.
Since using OraWellness and the Bass Brush my gum pockets have reduced to the healthy range.
Oil pulling is a great idea and can be done more than once a day if you have a health challenge.
Thank you for the education you provide about oral health. Looking forward to the second session.
Thanks for stopping by Carole! We appreciate the kind words of support. Congratulations on the reduction of your gum pockets!!
Your story is so important for others to hear!
Thank you and Aloha!
This is a great blog post.
I was just at my dentist and the question came up of whether
to use electric or manual.
Everything you said is right on –
Looking forward to hearing your take on the different kinds of
brushes – especially what you should do when you have some
receding gums and also some root exposure on one of the teeth.
Is electric or manual better for this?
Thanks!
I’m going to give this a try. I would also like to hear about the bass brush for a sonicare toothbrush. The one thing I have tried for “bad bugs” in my mouth is oil pulling which you can find info about online. That has made a huge difference in my dental checkups. Also, I have a prolapsed mitral valve and used to have to take antibiotics before and after each dental cleaning. Thank god that is a thing of the past, but the reality is that everyone should be oil pulling as the “bad bugs” do get into your blood stream not only when your teeth are cleaned but also when you floss and brush.
Excellent article. I’m so glad that you are spreading the word. I have been told by my QRA [quantitative reflex analysis] practitioner that to get rid of the biofilm on my teeth I need to take HCl. I have been under QRA [mud packing] and cold laser care for 9 months slowly improving…getting rid of biofilms hidden within the body tissues, but I still have film on teeth. Just wondering what your take is on this.
Aloha Annie,
Thanks for replying here. At the risk of sounding ‘salesy’, our healthy mouth blend does an excellent job at lowering the incident of biofilms in the mouth. The scientific literature calls this ‘adhesion inhibition’. In other words, using certain essential oils (that we have in our blend of course) lowers the ability of bad bugs to attach (apply biofilm) to teeth and gum tissue.
We hope this helps! ๐
When I checked my electric brush for EMFs The needle went to maximum.
Motors give of a lot of EMF, even small motors. Anyone elecrosensitive should avoid electric brushes
Wow! Great point! I hadn’t even considered this aspect of the negatives to electric brushes! Thanks for adding your input here!!!
I use an OraWellness toothbrush in the morning (after oil-pulling/swishing with coconut oil for 20 min.). I do not floss in the AM. In the evening I brush with an Oral B electric toothbrush and floss. I usually also use a Water-Pik in the PM. I do wonder about the brush I use with the electric. It has hard little yellow plastic things as well as brushes. Supposedly it gets the plaque under the gumline, but sometimes I wonder if it isn’t a bit harsh. No cavities this last year and I am 63. Oh, in the AM I brush the way OraWellness teaches in their video (5 seconds and move on..).
Aloha Suzanne,
Thanks for adding your experience here! From the sound of your most recent dental visit, you are most definitely heading in the right direction! ๐
Update: 6 months later. It seems I now have cavities at the gum line starting to form. Quite upsetting, but I think its because I have a dry mouth while sleeping. Not necessarily because my mouth is open either. I guess its something that happens as we age. The absence of saliva while sleeping is probably the problem. I have been using Xylitol Mints in my mouth at night to prevent this problem. I think it is helping, but my visit tomorrow with the dentist should tell me (been using them for 3 months). The ingredients of the mints are simple with no articial colors or flavors, just xylitol. It does contain magnesium stearate which I do wonder about a bit.
Hey Suzanne! You may have come across this by now but vitamin K2 in the form of MK-7 (like from natto extract) is a great bone and tooth building nutrient. Of course, you need adequate vitamin D intake from supplements, food, and/or sun. Also, the minerals calcium and magnesium.
I think the Bass toothbrush is the best brush I’ve ever used. I can get the bristles down below the gum lines and does a much better job at getting stuff from between my teeth. I think the Sonicare I had was too harsh and like my sister believe it may have contributed to breaking a crown with all the vibration. The Healthy Mouth blend on my floss and as a rinse has done wonders for my gum health. I brush with Earthpaste and coconut oil for oil pulling. Coconut oil pulls toxins and also soothes irritated gums. Spit the oil out, you do not want to swallow toxins etc. Orawellness instructional videos are extremely helpful.
Aloha Kathi,
Thank you for reaching out to us with your kind words! ๐ We are so grateful that you find such benefit and appreciation for our products! Agreed on the powerful benefits of oil pulling…
I use a manual toothbrush because it requires no moving parts, batteries, and electronics, making it more dependable, sustainable, simpler, smaller, and cheaper (given everything else is equal, of course). I would only use an electric toothbrush if I physically could not move the brush back and forth.
Aloha Sam,
I agree with your point here. If a person has a motor skills challenge like MS, then an electric brush would be crucial it seems to me.
Thanks for adding your input here!
Regarding your disclaimer. I thrilled that you aren’t dentists! Over the last couple decades my husband and I have completely lost faith in our medical/dental fields. I could write a blog on why! It is all of you ‘regular’ people that are exploring and sharing natural ways with all of us, and pulling many away from the harmful, man made ingredients found in so many products and medications of today that I trust!
Aloha Regina!
Thank you so much for your input here! We hear you on the general loss of confidence in the medical/dental fields. We are very grateful to have spent the time to locate a doctor and dentist who have their eyes wide open. After all, having the input from a professional who has also lost confidence in the field can be a tremendous asset! ๐
Thanks again for stopping by to add your support!
Aloha!
Hi Will:
Sounds like you’re from Hawaii. If you are, what’s the name of your (holistic) dentist? Always good to get second opinions.
And, thanks for all your “unconventional” wisdom!
As a Pediatric and Geriatric practicing dentist I agree that it is more important to focus on how you brush rather than the kind of brush used. The intent isto stimulate circulation in the gum tissues all around teeth – on the inside as well as the outside tissues.
I recommend having two different brushes – a manual to give your gums a good massage at night before bed and a sonic in the morning ( or when we focus less). It is vital to understand how infected brushes become – after ONE use – from our mouth, from particulate splatter from others brushing nearby, and from toilet plume. I recommend storing brushes in a sunny window or in the kitchen. They need to be disinfected daily.
Thank you for stopping by and adding your professional input here Dr Ellie!
We completely agree about ‘sunning’ your toothbrush on a sunny window sill to disinfect it!
Thank you and Aloha!
how do you suggest disinfecting the toothbrush? can i use a cup of water with some grapefruit seed extract?
Aloha Jane,
Great question! Disinfecting a toothbrush can be accomplished in many ways. First, let’s quickly explore what we are disinfecting from, ok?
We are looking to lower the risk of anaerobic bacteria (low oxygen loving microbes) from thriving in the brush between brushings.
Given this, what we want to use are strategies that will lower this risk. If you are going to soak your brush head in a solution, then to maximize the antimicrobial impact, making the strongest solution you can would be wise. For example, use only enough water in a cup to cover the brush head, then add, using your example, grapefruit seed extract. To answer your question directly, yes, grapefruit seed extract is a fine choice. You could also use a salt water solution, hydrogen peroxide solution, other essential oils. There are many options.
Another couple solutions we are very fond of is allowing your brush to fully dry out between brushings. You can do this simply by having more than one brush that you use and rotate them so each time you pick up the brush, it’s really, really dry already.
Perhaps our favorite technique is to simply ‘sun’ your brush on a sunny window sill in your home. After all, sun is a wonderful sterilizer. ๐
We hope these strategies help you along your path Jane. ๐
Hi there,
In order to disinfect my toothbrush, I use my mouthwash that has 0.05% chlorhexidine.
I use that mouthwash but I have to dilute it with water because the taste is too strong for me. Instead to disinfect my toothbrush I use it pure (just 3 or 4 minutes inside that liquid and the toothbrush is cleaned).
Happy Christmas to all you ๐