Is The Sonicare Toothbrush For You?

My favorite toothbrush is the Sonicare electric toothbrush by Philips. I personally use it and highly recommend it. I was not initially convinced that an electric toothbrush would clean that much better than manual brushing as I felt I brushed thoroughly. But I was wrong. Several years ago, I finally decided to test out a Sonicare to see what all the hype was about. After giving it a try for a few days, I was sold. I did not like the vibration at first. I got used to it after a few days, especially after I realized how effective it was at removing plaque. It was amazing. The brush head moves at such a fast pace that you could never move your hand or wrist to move it as many times in such a short time. My teeth feel glassy smooth after brushing now.

However to get the full benefit and the cleanest result, I would recommend using it for the full 2-minute cycle with gentle pressure.

The method I use is:

1. Wet the brush head.
2. Set it on the clean setting. 
3. Brush the biting surfaces first.
4. Then slowly move it back and forth at the gumline areas on both the inner and outside surfaces of the teeth.
5. Finally, move the brush up and down the sides of the teeth.

The full 2 minutes will allow plenty of time to brush thoroughly. Do it slowly and even go back over areas that you may tend to miss. The result will be very clean and glassy smooth teeth! The Sonicare really does all the work for you. You just need to guide it.

I find that most patients tend to brush too fast and miss areas. Also, they tend to brush too hard. Just remember to brush slower and make sure your brush touches every surface that you want clean.

As for which model to buy, that is entirely up to you as they all work great. I find that the basic model works fine as I mainly just use the clean setting to do the 2-minute brushing. You may want to try the more expensive models with all the bells and whistles. However, I found after having a model with all the extras that I really just used the clean setting.

When I travel, I pack my Sonicare. Patients have told me that even when they have traveled for up to 3 weeks, a Sonicare will hold its charge. The length of time of holding a charge may depend on the model that you have and how old it is. I just can’t leave home without it.

FYI Using the Sonicare does not mean you don’t have to floss. Flossing at least once a day, preferably twice a day, is still recommended to get the cleanest mouth. How you clean between your teeth where the toothbrush cannot reach is by flossing. You will find that the Sonicare does create sonic waves that will tend to flush out some food particles that are between the teeth but it cannot remove the plaque that is there. Plaque is sticky and has to be physically removed.

Happy Brushing!