You ARE a dentist paul?
What’s the difference between an electric and a sonic? Are all electrics sonic?
What about the toothpaste? Is there any/much difference between the (ever changing formula) Colgate and the spensive stuffs?
Sorry missed this, been busy.
Ok, they’re all ‘electric’ whether battery driven or plug in. Electric brushes are basically just engine driven, oscillating, backwards forwards, etc. sonic brushes create a stream of sonic energy under fluid which can flush out debris and has been shown to ‘stun’ bacteria. What this means in the real world isn’t clear. Last time I looked there was some evidence that electric toothbrushes are slightly better than manual, even if only because the novelty value and timers, etc make you spend more time effectively cleaning your teeth.
Mostly cleaning is about removing bacterial plaque which causes gum disease (particularly in the 10% of the population who get bad gum disease) and to a lesser extent removing food debris which will cause decay. It doesn’t really matter how you do it or what toothpaste, mouthwash, etc you use, get the cack off and all will be well. Like wheel sizes and fell running shoes toothpaste seems to have to be re-invented every few months. Make of that what you will. As long as it has fluoride in and you don’t rinse it out when you’ve finished brushing then I’m happy. If you have sensitive teeth the use some sensitive toothpaste (and maybe seek advice on why your teeth might be sensitive – decay, gum disease, acid diet, gastric reflux, grinding can all be treated or advised on). Bottle brushes are often easier to use than floss and may be more effective.
HTH 🙂