Over 5500 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia, an unknown bright spark, fed up with having yellowed and rotting teeth, decided to invent the world’s first toothbrush. This was little more than a twig with a frayed end used to brush the teeth, but little did he know that this humble chew stick would go on to revolutionise oral health forever. A little over 5400 years later in 1927, the Electro Massage Tooth Brush Company in the USA produced the world’s first electric toothbrush, inadvertently kick-starting a decades-long war between the manual toothbrush traditionalists and the new electric upstarts. Well, 90 years on, a definitive winner of the toothbrush war has been revealed- and it’s bad news for all you manual brush lovers out there.
A group of German researchers released the findings of their 11-year study back in May, and their aims were to assess the effects of powered toothbrushes on periodontal health and tooth loss in an adult population over a long period of time. These scientists found that people who use an electric toothbrush have healthier gums, less tooth decay and also keep their teeth for longer compared to manual users. Furthermore, the use of electric toothbrushes resulted in 22% less gum recession and 18% less tooth decay over the 11-year period of the study.
The reason electric toothbrushes are so much more effective has to do with the oscillating movements of the toothbrush head. When comparing to manual toothbrushes, the rotating head of the electric brush was found to remove far more plaque than even the most thorough clean with a manual brush.
A recent poll by the Oral Health Foundation found that less the one in two (49%) British adults currently use an electric toothbrush. For almost two-in-three (63%) electric toothbrush users, more effective cleaning is their reason behind the switch. More than a third (34%) have been persuaded to buy one because of the advice of a dentist while around one in nine (13%) have received an electric toothbrush as a gift. For those who use a manual toothbrush, the cost of going electric is often a turn off. However electric toothbrushes are more accessible than ever before- technology has developed, and the cost of having an electric toothbrush has become even more affordable. Battery-powered toothbrushes are available for as little as £10 while electric brushes can be had for as little as £30.Given the advantages of electric toothbrushes, having one is an excellent investment and could really benefit the health of your mouth.
For all we’ve gone on about the advantages of electric toothbrushes in this blog, here at London Holistic Dental Centre we firmly believe that brushing twice a day with a manual brush will improve your oral health far more than brushing once a day with an electric brush. Maintaining a regular brushing schedule is key here- whatever kind of brush you use, make sure to brush regularly. If you would like to book an appointment with us here at London Holistic Dental Centre, just give us a call on 020 7487 5221 and we’ll book you in as soon as possible.
