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10 Basic You need to Look Out for before buying an electric toothbrush

Mitch Avatar By: Mitch | Last updated April 11, 2021

Electric toothbrushes with featuers


Introduction

In the world of oral healthcare, an electric toothbrush is a great innovation that started in Switzerland in 1939. It offers top-notch performance than its manual counterpart and has been regarded as a must-have for personal care. There are different kinds of electric toothbrushes that you can find on the market, packed with various features, but hold the same promise: prevent tooth decay and keep the germs away. 

What might surprise you are the different features you might have missed that should be included on your next electric toothbrush. Don't worry; we'll bring only the useful features for you.

Check the Size

As most commonly mentioned in detail on our past electric toothbrush reviews, always consider the size of the model. Make sure it's not bulky or heavy to hold. Otherwise, you may feel uncomfortable while toothbrushing, and your desired results may not come. Bear in mind that the slimmer the brush handle is, the better choice, just like the Sonicare Protective Clean 4100. Your brush head should also be between 0.5 inch to 1 inch, as recommended by Geoffrey Morris, a Boca Raton cosmetic and restorative dentist. 

Ada Approval

It's rare to find people who inspect approval from experts before using a particular product. But if you do, check if your electric toothbrush has the ADA Seal of Acceptance. As a standard protocol to ensure the product's safety and effectiveness in removing dirt and plaque, the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs runs an evaluation depending on the requirements. 

Long term costs

The price of your electric toothbrush doesn't matter if it's performing well beyond your expectation. Inexpensiveness is always related to performance quality, so don't expect your $20 electric toothbrush to perform equivalent to more expensive ones. However, some exceptions, like the $20 Oral-B Pro 500, outperform the $100 Protective Clean 6100. Regardless, take note that aligning your buying objectives, comparing other models, and knowing the features you want brings you to the best electric toothbrush possible.  

What bristles the heads offer

Take a moment and check every bit of information when selecting an electric toothbrush. Make sure the bristles are soft to ensure teeth comfort. The American Dental Association suggests using electric toothbrushes with soft bristles to reduce the risk of damage and remove enamel and root surfaces.  
Feel free to choose any product that supports brush head compatibility from the electric toothbrushes that we recently reviewed. Replace the default brush head into a Sensitive or Gum Care brush head, and you're good to go. 

Check for a pressure sensor

Over Brushing is one of the most common issues when brushing the teeth. It happens when a user applies too much force on the teeth in an attempt to remove dirt and plaque buildup. Long-term effects include damaging and weakening of teeth and enamel degradation. In this case, the handy pressure sensor comes in. Because it's invaluable in the world of oral health care, you'll find it in almost every electric toothbrush present in the market. 

Do you really need a built in timer?

Don't ask for someone to time you while brushing. If your current electric toothbrush model doesn't have this feature, don't be afraid to discard it. Oral health experts worldwide agree that at least two minutes of brushing is enough to combat nasty breath-causing germs in your mouth. The job falls under the classic 2-minute timer with QuadPacer. For every quadrant of your mouth, a 30-second timer is placed.  Although you might think you are brushing your teeth long enough, and have been doing so your whole life, the reality is that most people don't brush their teeth nearly as long as they thought they do. If a timer is adding too much to the cost of your toothbrush, you can always use a timer to set the right amount of time to get your whole mouth done. 

How big is a big enough battery?

Another thing to look in for your ideal electric toothbrush is the type of battery. It's what powers your electric toothbrush to perform the quality clean that you desire. The more days of uninterrupted experience, the more ideal, and our best pick is the Lithium-Ion. The compelling battery would activate your electric toothbrush for 14 days if one person used it twice daily. If you're into a long-lasting battery, go check out Sonicare Protective Clean 4100, Oral-B Pro 7000, Oral-B Smart 1500, Sonicare Protective Clean 5100, 6100, 6500, 1100, and Oral-B Genius X Limited.  In our list of electric toothbrushes we found that the review on the philips sonicare 1100 review was one of the best batteries we had seen.

How does it feel in your hands?

At first glance, you can tell whether the electric toothbrush design is well-made or needs slight improvement. Some models have a firm grip, others have rubber grips to help, while the rest are not grippy at all. It's never been pleasant to have a slippery electric toothbrush; that's why refrain from buying one and pick something that you can hold firmly. The majority of the electric toothbrushes today have an excellent grip anyway.  Although right now touching and putting back items isn't the most approved thing you are always free to purchase a toothbrush and return it if you find it doesn't feel right in your hand. You will want to really see if the grip is something you will want to use for the future, versus just being alright, as you are investing in your long term oral health so you want something that feels natural to use. We did a review of all the best toothbrushes and found that the Sonicare Protective clean 4100 was our best reviewed product

Do you really need a waterproof toothbrush?

Have you ever thought of showering while cleaning your precious teeth to spare a few minutes during a busy morning? Using an electric toothbrush inside the bathroom is approved by PG Consumer as most electric toothbrushes are waterproof. You don't have to worry about the running water that will invade the insides of your powered toothbrush. Just make sure to dry the handle after using or before charging to prevent any accident. 

Post purchase support

When you buy from big companies such as Sonicare and Oral-B, make sure to take note of the exact details to be eligible for a refund. Typically, it will last 30 days before disqualification from a money-back guarantee. Both company giants have reliable customer service agents, so you don't have to worry about getting unanswered inquiries. 

The real problem starts when you buy at Amazon. Some sellers have non-existent customer service, and most often, you'll see the annoying repetitive replies which instruct customers to send a direct message to the seller. Some people complain about the refund on Amazon, but again, that depends on the seller. 

As a rule of thumb, always select the product branded as "Amazon's Choice" to eliminate any doubts you have.

Final thoughts on finding your perfect electric toothbrush.

Finding the perfect electric toothbrush takes a lot of effort and trial and error. We value your time and action. That's why we created a compilation of the best electric toothbrushes on the market today. We look at the price, the value they provide , as well as comparing them to other top models in the market.Not only have you saved your time from who knows how many hours of studying you will dedicate to learn everything about electric toothbrushes, consider us an expert third-party that's determined to help people make the best decision. 

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