Do Electric Toothbrushes Really Do the Job?

Manual Toothbrushes Never Seemed to Fail Me

Nowadays electric toothbrushes are the norm, and manual toothbrushes appear to be fading away into oblivion. These electric toothbrushes normally are plugged in, using electric power, to move the brush head and oscillate in various directions to clean your teeth. Also, these types are also often called "rotary" toothbrushes.

Even in today's dentist offices, these types of toothbrushes are being promoted as a super-cleaner of your teeth. Co-workers have even praised how electric toothbrushes have done miracles on their teeth, preventing them from even having to floss! Of course, I don't think dentists would go that far with agreeing with that advice.

But are these electric toothbrushes really that much better than manual toothbrushes? Growing up, I had always used a manual toothbrush. I was so proud how I never had developed a cavity from childhood to young adulthood. ...that is, until... I switched over to using an electric toothbrush in my late 20s. I followed the dentist's advice on how you should be using these electric toothbrushes, slowly sliding the brush as it works over your teeth and gums, holding it at a particular angle.

I honestly do not think my food habits have changed. I do not go overboard on Halloween nor hoard away bags of chocolate and candy to snack on throughout the year. The amount of time I spend taking care of my teeth has not changed either (meaning, I still brush the same number of times during the day) between childhood to adulthood.

Ever since switching though to electric toothbrushes, whenever I leave a dentist office, I always end up having a cavity discovered - albeit very superficial; to the point I always have them taken care of without anesthesia.