Viewing 36 posts - 1 through 36 (of 36 total)
  • electric toothbrushes – any dentists in?
  • wrecker
    Free Member

    If so, is there really much difference between the £60 rechargables and the £120 all singing and dancing models in terms of how clean they will get your teeth?
    I’d also be interested in hearing an impartial recommendation on toothpaste.
    Has a scale and polish today, then went out and bought some interdental brushes with good intentions…….

    FunkyDunc
    Free Member

    Asked a few dentists over the years and they have all said the basic Braun Oral B rotating circular head ones is all you need.

    Shop around I last got some for £17 each

    legend
    Free Member

    The one that syncs with your iPhone is defo the best

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    andygreener
    Full Member

    I’ll add to FDs comment, just the bog standard brush heads are the best so my hygienist tells me.

    paul4stones
    Full Member

    The rep said the sonic ones all have the same mechanism but the more expensive ones just have different settings and timers,etc. FWIW I’ve gone back to a manual brush but then IAAD 🙂

    wrecker
    Free Member

    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?

    leenightingale
    Free Member

    Dentist – just buy the one you like…..but use it properly and religiously. All will be well. Also don’t assume that brushing is enough, you need inter dental cleaning with floss or tepees too or you missing the surfaces most likely to decay.

    mudshark
    Free Member

    Are water picks worthwhile?

    deadkenny
    Free Member

    Basically whatever the hygienist suggests, because they’ll give you a voucher which no doubt earns them some cash back 😉

    But yeah, a bog standard cheap basic with non fancy rotating head will do.

    “Electric” is what they insist I use which confused me as mine is battery rechargeable, but apparently that’s what they mean.

    Sonic is something else. Something to do with hedgehogs I think 😀

    globalti
    Free Member

    The basic Oral B reciprocating or rotating head brushes do a great job and if you combine them with flossing and using the inter-dental brushes, you’ll wake up in the mornings with fresher breath meaning very little bacterial growth during the night.

    I actually believe that the benefits of good oral hygiene are underestimated; my cycling buddy is a physician and he agrees that if you’ve got a mouth full of bacteria and gum disease, bacteria will be finding their way into your blood stream and stomach, which can’t be good for your general health. Studies have confirmed this but the dental and medical professions are surprisingly reticent on it.

    plyphon
    Free Member

    How odd – was just looking at electric toothbrushes last night.

    My friend has a Philips sonic thing and I took an interest based off the lack of sound alone – the Oral B’s make such a racket.

    I’m still in two minds tho. might give the sonic a go.

    Dentists – what about those Mr.Blanc whitening strips? Are they effective or snake oil?

    wobbliscott
    Free Member

    I’m not a dentist but a convert from experience. Go for rechargeable rather than replaceable battery. The replaceable battery ones slow down as the battery drains reducing their effectiveness – with rechargeable they stay topped up and operate at their fastest speed every time you use them. Other than that they’re all the same from what I can tell. My dentist/hygeinest told me that the sonic ones are no better or worse than the other ones, though i’m sure other dentists might have a different opinion.

    In my experience an electric toothbrush is far far better than a manual one so worth the money. I got an Oral B one about 5 years ago for about £40 on sale and have only just replaced it (the body obviously and not the heads). I noticed a significant improvement in my gum health and I am a regular brusher and flosser.

    Flaperon
    Full Member

    Quite like the Philips Sonicare toothbrushes. Seems to do a good job, the idea is that the the motion forces water between the teeth and the gums etc so less muck to try to remove when flossing.

    The buzzing takes a bit of time to get used to and it has about six modes, all of which are pretty much the same except the one for whitening, which makes your brain vibrate.

    And the battery takes 24 hours to recharge.

    stumpy01
    Full Member

    Sonic versus reciprocating probably has a lot to do with personal preference. They feel very different.
    We had a ‘normal’ electric toothbrush for ages, that I liked. It broke & we replaced it with an Oral-B sonic (that I don’t think they make anymore). That was loads better; teeth felt a lot cleaner.
    When that one finally gave up the ghost (battery wouldn’t hold a charge) we went back to a ‘normal’ electric toothbrush (cheaper than a sonic & I was feeling tight) & I really didn’t like it. Dunno why, but just couldn’t get on with it at all.

    A few months ago, Boots were having a sale on the Colgate Omron sonic brushes – there was a £180 toothbrush (ha ha, yes, really!!) reduced to £60, so I thought I’d give it a try.
    Got it to the till & it only came up as £29.50, so was well pleased.
    It does feel like it does a really good job. Coupled with flossing & interdental brushes it does seem to keep my teeth really clean.
    It has got a load of ‘auto’ functions that changes the speed & stuff, but that just seems a bit of a gimmick, so I just leave it on one speed setting and it’s fine.

    johndoh
    Free Member

    The way I see it – after seeing an advert several years ago stating that using X Brand toothpaste is y% more effective than using water (the difference wasn’t huge really considering) – that using a very expensive toothbrush over a cheap one will only give really very marginal gains.

    andy4d
    Full Member

    You don’t need the all sing ones unless you are a gadget person or obsessed with oral hygiene. That said if you can get the model up from the basic oral-b then I would. The basic ones are fine but the 2000 series (I think, but could be 1000) and up have a more powerful motor and I feel do a better job. Usually on offer in boots at half price. Last one I got was a 2500 at Xmas when it was on offer and very happy with it

    footflaps
    Full Member

    I love the Sonicare brushes, been using them for 10+ years (must be on 4th by now). Expensive, but I’m more than happy with the results.

    packer
    Free Member

    Are water picks worthwhile?

    I started using one of these daily about a year ago when the dentist told me I had borderline gum disease.
    I think it’s brilliant and has definitely improved my gums (although have not yet been back for the official verdict).

    ads678
    Full Member

    My wife got a sonic one but the dentist told her that although they are good the normal rotating ones still come out better in tests.

    deadkenny
    Free Member

    wobbliscott – Member
    with rechargeable they stay topped up and operate at their fastest speed every time you use them

    So long as you keep it on the charger, which means having an electric socket in the bathroom, which I don’t. I end up charging mine when it goes noticeably slow.

    The inter dental things are best. I don’t use them as much as I should of course. It’s extra faff time. Floss is awkward. Floss picks are a bit better. Useful for awkward back teeth.

    Generally I rely on the hygienist. I’m paying them enough! 😮

    cinnamon_girl
    Full Member

    Are water picks worthwhile?

    I have one of these but find that the size of it makes it a pita to use in a bathroom with limited space especially if using a shaver socket. The cord on the brush needs to be longer.

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Braun-Oral-B-Professional-dental-OxyJet/dp/B003RRY42S

    paul4stones
    Full Member

    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 🙂

    drslow
    Free Member

    my two cents. Electric beats manual x 1000. Use either floss or intra oral brushes for in-between. Also use mouthwash to kill bacteria. Current favourite toothpaste is colgate whitening. Regular maintenance FTW

    deadkenny
    Free Member

    Current favourite toothpaste is colgate whitening

    Whitening is just a vanity thing though? Makes no difference to the health of your teeth.

    Actually pisses me off the whitening products are often on sale and regular [insert brand name] version are not. To me they’re just there for the smokers with badly stained teeth. I don’t need them, and I’m wary of extra chemicals that may be in them.

    cinnamon_girl
    Full Member

    Non-fluoride toothpaste for me, using BeeVital Propolis toothpaste.

    paul4stones
    Full Member

    I don’t think propolis does much to harden teeth and prevent decay though.

    FunkyDunc
    Free Member

    Cinnamon why do you not use fluoride when all the experts say to?

    Cougar
    Full Member

    This is going to end badly.

    Stoner
    Free Member

    I hear the duck chorus warming up already

    stumpy01
    Full Member

    paul4stones – Member

    As long as it has fluoride in and you don’t rinse it out when you’ve finished brushing then I’m happy.

    I’ve read this a couple of times recently; online & in a recent ‘science’ book about how every day stuff works.
    I’ve never been told that I shouldn’t rinse out toothpaste when finished brushing.
    I always have a good swill round when finished.

    Same with mouthwash – slosh it round a bit & then rinse out. Is that wrong too, should I just be spitting it out & leaving what’s left…?

    nedrapier
    Full Member

    What do they call Dentists in America?

    DENNIS!

    NB: for this to work, it really needs to be said out loud, in an american accent, like an american saying the word “Dentists” without pronouncing the “t”s. You might have to try it a few times. If you’re struggling, drop me line a line with your number and I’ll tell it to you over the phone. email in profile.

    paul4stones
    Full Member

    It’s because of the extra topical effect of leaving the toothpaste (and therefore fluoride) in contact with the teeth. Rinse it out and it’s gone. Same with mouthwash I guess but not all mw has fluoride in I think.

    cinnamon_girl
    Full Member

    Fluoridation is an endocrine disrupter and, yes, controversial. I’ve an endocrine disorder with my body being totally screwed, also don’t use antibacterial soap for the same reason.

    cranberry
    Free Member

    I’ve gone from a Philips Sonicare ( which are more expensive than they should be ) to trying a cheap Oral B rotating toothbrush -the Oral B seems rough as old boots, like a small drill set to hammer action in your mouth.

    I’ll be back to getting a replacement Philips as soon as possible, even though they are not great value for money – 4 years use for £130 before it broke down.

    lonesomewanderer
    Free Member

    My hygienist seems to think my £12 Lidl one is doing the job (it’s one of those rotating head thingies).

    If you don’t like fluoride then I hear T Dazzle is great!

Viewing 36 posts - 1 through 36 (of 36 total)

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