Did you know that the average person only brushes their teeth for approximately 45 seconds?
Considering that the American Dental Association (and our dentist!) advises brushing for 2 minutes twice a day, it’s no wonder that teeth and gums aren’t getting cleaned as well as they should.
If you’re thinking two minutes feels like an eternity we hear you!
But there are more than 59 published papers in the International Journal of Dental Hygiene with some pretty shocking findings. They found that, on average, people who brushed for one minute removed only about 27 percent of plaque (the stuff that leads to cavities). However, people who brushed for two minutes removed around 41 percent of the plaque on their teeth. That’s almost twice as much!
Not only does the amount of time you spend brushing your teeth affect your oral health, the technique that you use makes a big impact on gum recession (which shows up as increased tooth sensitivity) and damaged tooth enamel (aka your susceptibility to cavities).
If only there was some way to help people brush for the right amount of time, ensure that they’re being gentle on their teeth and gums, and would help improve their brushing technique…Well, welcome to the 21-century because there is!
Electric Toothbrushes Do What Manual Toothbrushes Can’t
Our expert dentist, Dr. Ramy highly recommends the ADA-approved Phillips Sonic electric toothbrush with its 62,000 movements to effectively and easily remove the gunk on your teeth and cavity-causing plaque. Using sonic action that disrupts dental plaque beyond where the bristles actually touch, this toothbrush can help you improve your oral health!
Sonicare also helps reduce the chances of damaging your gums (a cause of gum recession), it helps ensure that you are brushing for the necessary two minutes with a built-in timer, and can remove biofilm (aka bad bacteria that leads to gum disease) way better than a manual toothbrush.
With a manual toothbrush, you can do about 200 strokes per minute. However, electric toothbrushes typically give you 30,000 strokes per minute—now that’s what we call brushing your teeth!
So ultimately it’s cleaning your teeth in two ways: one with the bristles, and secondly with fluid-dynamics. Meaning, it can reach places that a manual toothbrush can’t.
Still, how you brush your teeth, no matter what type of brush you use matters. It’s recommended to brush for two minutes at a 45-degree angle toward your gum line moving in small circles along each tooth.
Sonicare makes nailing the perfect technique super easy. It’s seriously as easy as gliding the toothbrush over the surface of your teeth. And all you really have to do is pay attention by making sure you’re covering every surface of each tooth (front, top, side, and back), and you’re applying the right amount of pressure.
What’s more, Sonicare can whiten teeth better than a manual toothbrush in as little as one week.
10 Innovative Benefits You Might Not Know About Sonicare
In addition to improving three important components of brushing your teeth (brushing for the right amount of time, being gentle on your teeth & gums, and using the right technique), Sonicare has some pretty innovative benefits when it comes to your oral health.
Let’s look at them all!
Benefit #1: A Personal Toothbrush Coach
Ok, it’s not an actual human coach but Sonicare has created an app that you can use with your toothbrush. It shows you a model of your teeth to help you determine if you’re holding your toothbrush at the correct angle. If you aren’t, the app can show you how to fix that, as well as alert you if you are moving too much or brushing too hard. So it’s like having your own personal toothbrushing coach to improve your brushing technique for healthier teeth and gums.
Benefit #2: Gives You Peace-of-Mind
When it comes to brushing your teeth, timing is everything. As you read earlier, teeth should be brushed for two minutes each time you brush so you can guard against tooth decay. But when you brush longer than two minutes it can harm the gums and enamel. The built-in two-minute smart timer makes it so you can focus on cleaning properly and not worry about how long you’re doing it. The DiamondClean toothbrush will shut off at the pre-set time limit.
Benefit #3: Puts a Stop to Missed Spots
We’ve found that a lot of times people don’t realize that they are missing spots when they’re brushing their teeth. Of course, Sonicare has picked up on this human tendency, so it includes what’s called a quadrant (aka section) pacer. The toothbrush divides the brushing time into four 30-second intervals. This lets you concentrate on cleaning in that area and then the toothbrush tells you when to switch quadrants by giving you a gentle vibration as you move from quadrant to quadrant. When combined with the app, it will actually show you spots that you missed!
Benefit #4: Keeps Your Teeth From Falling Out
You might not realize how important your gum health is until your teeth start falling out. But we don’t want that for you. Which is why the pressure sensitivity feature is so cool. It lets you know when you are brushing too hard, which is key because, over time, hard brushing can harm the gum tissue and result in bleeding, sore gums, and eventually, gum recession. As the brush handle vibrates and flashes a purple light until you brush lighter, this gentle reminder can save you from damaging tooth enamel and gum tissue.
Benefit #5: There’s A Mode for Every Desire
You want whiter teeth? How about if you’re one of the folks who experiences sensitivity? Going out and need to freshen up? Well, Sonicare has thought of it all. There are five different modes that you can incorporate into your routine: white, clean, gum health, tongue care, and deep clean. There are even 3 settings for the intensity of the vibration so you can choose the one that you prefer. And for a first time user, a “ramp-up” mode can be enabled so that you can get used to the vibration without tickling your nose too much.
Benefit #6: Designed & Tested with Mad Scientist Rigor
Sonicare spends a lot of time conducting research and not surprisingly has spent a ridiculous amount of time getting the bristles of your toothbrush just right. They’ve packed soft bristles in a tighter density than the average manual toothbrush, which is lab-tested to give you a better clean. They didn’t stop at bristle density either. They’ve got a wide range of toothbrush heads so that you can customize the toothbrush to your preference.
Benefit #7: Display-worthy Design
The DiamondClean Sonicare toothbrush takes design to a whole new level. There are multiple colors that you can choose from (white, black, pink, amethyst, rose gold) for the handle of the toothbrush. It sits in a classy glass charging cup in your home bathroom, which means less bulk on your counter. And if you travel, the sleek USB charging case makes you feel like you’ve packed an actual adult toothbrush instead of one of those weird cheap toothbrushes your mom used to pack for you when you were a kid.
Benefit #8: It’s a Bacteria Killing Machine
While your initial investment in the DiamondClean might seem high for a toothbrush, it is the best toothbrush on the market for helping you maintain cleaner, healthier teeth and gums (translation: less dental work!). Since the toothbrush can last for several years, you will certainly be reaping a return on your investment.
Benefit #9: Mini Person Approved
If you’re a parent, your child could also benefit from the “Philips Sonicare For Kids” electric toothbrush. It comes with a fun mobile app/game that is appealing to children. Working with an interactive character known as Sparkly, your child is shown a teeth simulation to guide them while brushing. Not only do children enjoy brushing this way, but you can also track your child’s brushing habits through the app and help them learn the proper way to brush their teeth!
Benefit #10: There are Options for All Your Needs
When it comes to choosing an electric toothbrush Sonicare gives you plenty of options. You can choose based on price, color, mode, or models. Some models even come with a UV filter to help you keep your toothbrush clean. This feature can kill up to 99% of the bacteria and viruses that live on a toothbrush. Specifically, it targets the Streptococcus Mutans which is the #1 bacteria that results in tooth decay, the Herpes Simplex Virus, and Escherichia Coli (or E.Coli) which can cause food poisoning. Whatever your needs Sonicare probably has an option for that.
Conclusion
Sonicare toothbrushes help you do a better job of brushing your teeth. What’s more, we’ve seen a noticeable difference in the health of our patient’s mouths when they use a Sonicare toothbrush.
At Exceptional Dentistry in Palmdale, CA, we highly recommend Sonicare toothbrushes along with careful brushing to keep your smile cavity-free and gum disease-free. If you are looking for an exceptional dentistry experience, we invite you to reach out to our dedicated team to help you take care of your smile! Call (661) 349-7725 or you can schedule a reservation online.
