Are there gentle and effective electric toothbrushes?

February 23, 2016 8:54 PM

I'm in the market for an electric toothbrush, but I'm looking for one that's gentle due to existing gum problems. I was leaning toward Oral B because they separately sell soft brush heads but it seems that the Sonicare ones clean better. I don't know soft the brushes are, though. I also like that Oral B brushes have the sensor if you press too hard. But I would love to get some opinions on which brand you prefer and why. Thanks!
posted by madonna of the unloved to Health & Fitness (19 answers total)

If Sonicare cleans better it's got to be a pretty marginal "better". I have a mouthful of fillings, always had bad teeth, and got an Oral B (the cheapest one, pretty much) at my hygienist's recommendation. Now every cleaning she comments on how well I'm doing, how much my gums have improved, etc. I've only had a couple of small fillings since then, mostly around the margins of previous fillings or at decalcified spots (because I haven't been using the fluoride rinse she recommends, probably). This is even when I've gone through periods of being less attentive to my brushing routine -- the Oral B basically takes care of things on its own, for me at least.
posted by katemonster at 9:28 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

I've had various Sonicare models since the mid-1990's. Haven't had a cavity or gum problem in all of that time. However, I also floss everyday which probably makes the biggest difference in gum health.

Last visit, I did ask my dentist about the Foreo Issa (my Sonicare is due for a replacement since it doesn't hold a charge). My dentist said it hasn't been on the market long enough to know if it is similarly effective to the Sonicare. He suggested that if I really wanted an Issa, I should wait another year or so and charge my current toothbrush frequently.

But really? Floss.
posted by 26.2 at 9:54 PM on February 23, 2016

I have the Sonicare and like it fine, but if and when it dies it's getting replaced by an Oral B simply because the brush heads are half the price. Last cleaning I did ask my dental care team which one they thought was better and they said that it really was a toss-up.
posted by Sternmeyer at 9:58 PM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

If you'd rather get the Sonicare, they also make a soft brush. I have no horse in this race, but just wanted to point out that Sonicare doesn't imply no brush choices.
posted by town of cats at 10:09 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

There are also lots of third party brush heads that come in varying softness and are inexpensive. I use a sonicare personally but don't have a strong opinion between the two.
posted by Crystalinne at 10:12 PM on February 23, 2016

There are third-party brush heads for the Sonicare that are quite soft. Look on Amazon for the brand Sonimart, they have an ultra-soft brush head that is so soft, I bought their standard ones!
posted by kindall at 10:27 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

Also, read the fine print on the model you're getting to make sure it has a 'gentle' setting.
posted by sebastienbailard at 10:46 PM on February 23, 2016

Just checked and I also use Sonismart heads. It was like $14 for two.
posted by Crystalinne at 10:49 PM on February 23, 2016

This Wirecutter review might be helpful.
posted by rongorongo at 3:09 AM on February 24, 2016

I've used both kinds, not much difference, and floss. What's really really made a difference is using a waterpik daily.
posted by mareli at 5:37 AM on February 24, 2016 [1 favorite]

My Sonicare 'Diamond Clean' has an unbelievably soft head. I have gum issues too, and this has been the most gentle thing I've ever used on them. My dentist agreed, and said it was almost impossible to do damage to my gums with them. YMMV.
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 6:14 AM on February 24, 2016 [1 favorite]

Another happy Sonimart user checking in. Here are mine. Beyond the initial Sonicare unit expense, and especially if you have Prime, they're even cheaper than standard toothbrushes.

(I tried several other non-brands before finding these, and almost totally switched toothbrushes because they were all terrible. Poorly mounted bristles, the connecting bit inside the brush snapping off after two uses, and so on.)
posted by gnomeloaf at 6:43 AM on February 24, 2016

I moved from Oral B to Sonicare a few months ago and I am finding the Sonicare to be harsher and more annoying, even at the gentle setting. I plan to go back to Oral B.
posted by blurker at 9:12 AM on February 24, 2016

I'm going to nth that flossing is definitely more important--it's the only thing that has completely halted the progression of cavities in my teeth--but I use an Oral-B Vitality (the cheap ones) and it works well. The official "soft" brushes are still a little on the firmer side of what I'd expect, but they're definitely softer than the floss-action brushes I normally use. I don't have experience with 3rd party brush heads.

The nice thing about going with the Vitality is that it's cheap (around $25), so you're not out much if you decide it isn't working for you. I'm a bit surprised that the Wirecutter article mentioned above didn't include it in their tests.
posted by Aleyn at 1:15 PM on February 24, 2016

I have used both. Both are good. I personally switched from Sonicare to Oral-B because the replacement costs for the brush heads were lower, and I have found that I like the Oral-B better; it's gentler and less aggressively buzzy.

The difference between manual and power toothbrush is more important than the marginal differences between the two brands.

Also, as everyone else has said, floss.
posted by oblique red at 1:26 PM on February 24, 2016

Do not worry about it - get the cheapest one or the one you like the feel of best. There are actually been a reasonable amount of real science research into this.

Some of it says sonic brushes are better

Some of it says rotation is better

The real takeaway to most of the research however is: At both Weeks 4 and 10, the rotation/oscillation group had directionally lower plaque scores than the sonic group (by approximately 3%), but treatment group differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.1) at either time point. Both groups showed statistically significantly lower plaque scores at Weeks 4 and 10 relative to baseline." (emph mine)

Cochrane also says it doesn't matter.

So if you like the Oral B, get it.
posted by smoke at 2:34 PM on February 24, 2016

I used to use the Sonicare, and now am on the "entry level" Oral B. I like the Oral B because the shape of the brush heads fits my tiny, bizarre mouth better. But the biggest difference I find is that it's much easier to keep clean--the Sonicare has (or had, maybe they've improved the design?) an unfortunate propensity for growing mold inside due to an unfortunate seam. It was revolting, and I didn't appreciate having to detail my damn toothbrush every night.
posted by Mrs. Rattery at 4:36 AM on February 25, 2016

I bought a Sonicare children's toothbrush which has, maybe, a softer head--and definitely has a feature for kids where it slowly ramps up the intensity of the brushing so it isn't too intense at first (plus it is cheaper than the adult version...).
posted by Owl of Athena at 9:31 AM on February 25, 2016

I find the knock-off Sonicare brushes to be noticeably softer than the actual proper branded ones. As in, they last less than couple of months before needing to be replaced.
posted by Solomon at 1:28 PM on February 25, 2016