by Amber Hilton

Created on: May 28, 2011

Most people have probably thought about buying an electric toothbrush at some point in time, but it tends to be one of those things that falls toward the bottom of one's priority list. You might know someone who swears by his or her electric toothbrush, or maybe your dentist recommended one at your last check-up, but you have yet to make the investment for yourself.

I was in the same boat as of about a month ago. I knew I could be doing more to get my teeth and gums healthy, and I wanted to have better dental check-ups. I'd tried a cheaper, battery-operated power toothbrush in the past, but I was looking for something a bit higher end this time. While I was happy with how well the battery-operated version cleaned my teeth, water was constantly getting into the unit (either due to a design flaw or a defective unit, I'm not sure which), causing me to go through batteries like crazy. It also made the toothbrush smell bad, which definitely isn't what you want from something that you have to put in your mouth.

I hadn't had a cavity since elementary school, but my dental hygienist consistently reported that I had more tarter than she would like to see and that I needed to floss more. I recommitted myself to flossing, but I still wanted to do more. I had invested in Invisalign about six months prior, and, while I could see my teeth getting straighter day by day, I was concerned that the trays might trap food and bacteria against my teeth and gums. Having to take the trays off every time I ate and clean them with denture cleaner was also a wake-up call. If I found temporarily caring for the trays a pain, I certainly wasn't looking forward to years of caring for dentures, which were sure to be much more work. Even though I am still many decades away from needing to consider dentures, I knew now was the time to make a commitment to better oral health. So, I stuck with my new, more frequent flossing routine and started researching electric/power toothbrushes.

If you've looked into getting a power toothbrush at all, you've probably come to the same realization that I did. Namely, that while there are several options available, the Philips Sonicare brand tends to dominate the marketplace. Maybe this is because more dental professionals in the U.S. recommend Phillips Sonicare products than any other power toothbrush brand. Philips also claims that their Sonicare toothbrushes remove up to twice as much plaque as a manual toothbrush, and they even offer a money-back guarantee

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>