Upgrade my toothbrush

[Regulator75]

I've been thinking of upgrading to an electric toothbrush.

There are so many on the market, which brands / models should I avoid?

Thanks!

[lifetimefan]

I tried the starter brushes from Crest and Oral B, both were Ok but not great.

Currently, I'm using the Arm & Hammer Sonic Spinbrush (http://www.spinbrush.com/Products_SpinBrushSonic.html) and it does the best of the 3 so far. I'm too cheap to spend a ton on a toothbrush, so chances of me trying a high end / rechargeable are slim.

[Slava]

Oral B professional is where its at. /thread

[Northendzone]

\thread

Phillips sonicare

/thread

[dissentowner]

normal toothbrush strapped to your wife's vibrator
/thread

[Old Yeller]

I have really good teeth, but I still the dentist and especially scaling. Used to sit in the bloody torture chair for half the time just getting scaling done.

I got a Phillips Sonicare and the last time I went to the dentist I was in the chair for less than half the time thanks to the new toothbrush... even my dental hygenist commented.

Now if only I could find something that would make me more prone to floss and not be so lazy.

[Kipper is King]

Sonicare was what my dentist recommended to me, and it seems really good so far!

[BloodFetish]

Originally Posted by Old Yeller

I have really good teeth, but I still the dentist and especially scaling. Used to sit in the bloody torture chair for half the time just getting scaling done.

I got a Phillips Sonicare and the last time I went to the dentist I was in the chair for less than half the time thanks to the new toothbrush... even my dental hygenist commented.

Now if only I could find something that would make me more prone to floss and not be so lazy.

Another Sonicare user here. If you have a Costco membership go get it there, as well the replacement heads are a lot cheaper.

Re: Flossing. I hate flossing as much as the next guy. I have tight contact points between my teeth so any string-based floss would leave fibers behind and they'd drive me nuts. Much happier with the Crest Glide stuff, also available for cheap at Costco.

More recently I've been using the Gum Soft-tips. My dad happens to be a dentist and has become a fan of them, to the point where he sees them as an almost-replacement for floss. Much easier/enjoyable to use but can't get behind the molars with them, so not a complete replacement. Once again, much cheaper at Costco.

Since tomorrow is father's day let me prop my dad up a bit. He's gradually retiring after a very lengthy career of over 40 years. Probably the most useful things I've learned from him are...

1. Only use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. It's abrasive stuff so too much is not only more costly but potentially damaging in the long term. Our conception of how to load a toothbrush comes from TV ads where we see happy families slop on toothpaste the size of a packing peanut. Of course at that rate you have to buy their product much more often.

2. Don't overbrush. 30s is usually good enough. Scrubbing away for 2+ minutes is again harmful to teeth and gums in the long term, especially if you're using hard bristles. Another reason I like Sonicare is it gets the teeth clean without the scrubbing action of manual or other electric brushes (my own non-scientific opinion).

[RW99]

Why is this thread still going, its obvious that it has been closed

I've had my Oral B 3D #4729 for I believe 11 years and it's still going strong. But the battery isn't holding up as much now.

[Titan]

I have and like he SonicCare as well. I really like it.

I believe BloodFetish may mean 30s per quarter of mouth.

[BloodFetish]

No, I meant 30s per whole mouth for a manual brush. The idea is to get the mouth clean without excessive abrasion from toothpaste and brushing.

Keep in mind I am merely passing on my Dad's opinion built on a career in dentistry, and I realize it is at odds with popular concepts.

[Daradon]

I have the Oral B one pictured above, it does a good job.

I've tried the SonicCare but I didn't like it. It does a good job, but it buzzes so much it tickles my lips and gums and makes brushing unpleasant for me.

[Robotic]

I to had the Oral B as mentioned above for 10 years. Went on a business trip for 2 weeks and brought with me a regular toothbrush. When I returned the battery no longer worked. I'd recommend the Oral B, as anything that gets 10+ years being used daily is worth it to me.

[Regulator75]

Thanks all, looks like it's either the highend Oral B Pro or the Sonicare.

[stampsx2]

Originally Posted by BloodFetish

2. Don't overbrush. 30s is usually good enough. Scrubbing away for 2+ minutes is again harmful to teeth and gums in the long term, especially if you're using hard bristles. Another reason I like Sonicare is it gets the teeth clean without the scrubbing action of manual or other electric brushes (my own non-scientific opinion).

I thought hard bristled tooth brushes were out because they push your gums down away from your tooth over time. Could be wrong.

[BloodFetish]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

I thought hard bristled tooth brushes were out because they push your gums down away from your tooth over time. Could be wrong.

Maybe they don't even sell them anymore. Been a long time since I shopped for a toothbrush. But yeah, problems with receeding gums if I remember correctly.