Are electric toothbrushes good for receding gums?

June 12, 2023 2:21 PM

I've always used a manual toothbrush. I now have receding gums and a couple of small gumline cavities. Should I go electric?

The trouble seems to be on the inside of the teeth ("lingual side"). This is where I most commonly brush with a horizontal motion, which apparently is the worst kind of brushing motion for the gumline.

Other than that I'm pretty good (teeth are generally in decent shape, I brush twice a day, use soft bristles, not too much pressure, mostly with a gentle up-down motion at 45 degrees except on the inside surface).

Will switching to an electric toothbrush help someone in my situation? I tried googling for the information and just found a whole bunch of SEO garbage and affiliate links, so hoping the Green can help here.

posted by splitpeasoup to Health & Fitness (18 answers total)

Best answer: I'm not sure if there's a case to be made against powered toothbrushes in general, besides the relatively large initial and ongoing expense (and, maybe, that they constitute increased plastic waste and a form of electronics waste, especially if you are, for instance, switching from a wood or bamboo and natural fiber "manual" toothbrush). There is high-quality evidence that they're more effective at reducing plaque and gingivitis compared to normal brushing. I know this doesn't address your specific situation, but I guess I'd ask if there's a reason why you're reluctant to switch.

Anecdotally, I love mine, have used one for >20 years at this point, and would never go back. If you have a Costco membership and another household member or friend who wants one, they often have two-packs of the major brands (Sonicare, Oral-B) at a competitive price, and also seem to do a good long-term job of stocking bulk packs of replacement heads for the toothbrushes they sell.
posted by pullayup at 3:09 PM on June 12, 2023 [6 favorites]

Best answer: I've had gum issues on the outside of the teeth, and my dentist did recommend an electric toothbrush. The main selling point of an electric in my experience has been the timing feature to brush each part of the mouth equally, and the way they help to reduce the force you're using and make sure you don't brush too hard. The thing that's made the most difference in reducing my gum issues was using a water flosser, which my dentist did say was making a noticeable difference.
posted by ockmockbock at 3:10 PM on June 12, 2023 [11 favorites]

Best answer: I've only tried one electric toothbrush (Quip), but I would not recommend it for a receding gumline. The bristles are firm and the toothbrush heads have silicone nubs. I think you should try a soft bristle regular toothbrush (or soft bristle electric) and work on brushing in circles.
posted by Eyelash at 3:12 PM on June 12, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: In my case an electric toothbrush and water pick helped a ton. For reasons, I didn’t go to the dentist for way too long. I lucked out with no cavities but had a ton of tartar, of course. They scheduled me for a deep cleaning in about a month’s time, the sort where they go under the gum line and I would maybe need numbing shots and all that, very scary. My anxiety kicked in and I switched back to using the old waterpik combo electric brush and water flosser I’d had but had stopped using. By the time I came in for my deep cleaning, the hygienist looked at my teeth, compared them to their records from my first visit, double checked, asked an admin person to make sure they had the right names on stuff, and then told me my gums and teeth looked so much better I didn’t need a deep cleaning at all, they would just do the normal, it took twenty minutes, no pain.

Now, it seems I am genetically blessed in the teeth department, so of course your mileage will vary. But I discussed this in depth with the dental hygienist and she said most likely it was the electric brush and water flosser that made the huge difference. For me it is just massively less sensory horror to get between my teeth with water rather than floss, and I need to be distracted while I brush my teeth so often I will read something on a tablet while I do it, and the vibrations to signify moving to another quadrant and for how long I should stay there makes it so I don’t space out and actually get all of my mouth.

My electric brush died a few months back and I have my twice annual cleaning at the end of June; I’m not buying a new electric brush until after because I am doing science and want to see if my teeth are a hot mess again without it. But so far considering the occasional inflammation I feel (during hormonal shifts and allergy days) I do feel like I wouldn’t have had that pain or small amount of bleeding if I were using an electric brush.

If you check websites for stores like Nordstrom Rack, Kohl’s, TJ Max and similar, you can often find electric toothbrushes on deep discount, comparable or cheaper to Costco prices without the membership.
posted by Mizu at 3:16 PM on June 12, 2023 [2 favorites]

I have similar problems, and my dentist has been pushing an electric toothbrush on me for years. I finally got a Sonicare this week, so no anecdata to offer, but I will add this: at my most recent cleaning, the hygienist told me to brush my gums more thoroughly, and demonstrated for me. I've been doing it, and I can tell you that it requires going to places on the inside of my upper teeth that come close to triggering my gag reflex. In other places, she showed me to actually brush all the way up to where my gums meet the inside of my cheeks. I can't tell you until after my next checkup whether it has made a difference, but I'm passing it along.
posted by Well I never at 3:40 PM on June 12, 2023

Best answer: I have receding gums and the hygienist recommended using an electric toothbrush with soft bristles. In Sonicare, that means "sensitive" brush heads, and with Oral-B it's "gentle care" heads. I've definitely noticed that the Sonicare sensitive brush head is gentler than the regular ones, and I can brush the actual gumline because the bristles are soft.

If you're considering Sonicare, it's fine to get a cheap one. The expensive ones are a little quieter and have some features that might be nice to have, but they're not necessary.
posted by wryly at 3:48 PM on June 12, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I gave up using an electric toothbrush after effectively brushing a bit of my gum clean away, permanently… I didn’t know you were supposed to go easier on sore bits, so I went to town on it and gave it a good stiff going over every night with the brush for months, thinking that would toughen it up; my toothbrush didn’t have a sensor to detect excessive pressure; it was a baby tooth that was never replaced and has hung on until middle age; I didn’t go to the dentist as regularly as I should have done. By the time I went back, my gum had shrunk away beneath that tooth and can’t be replaced. So I now use a handheld which I feel is gentler on my gums. YMMV.
posted by penguin pie at 4:00 PM on June 12, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I just last week got advice from my dentist re gums and electrics that it's fine, but you don't need to "brush" at all. Just lightly hold the bristles against the teeth, angled slightly downward at the gumline, and move slowly along. They seem to be proponents and were mainly worried that I was manually brushing too hard.

I had a Sonicare... 2 or something and it was pretty gentle, plus you can order soft bristles (some knockoffs are better than others, do a little research).
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 4:08 PM on June 12, 2023

Best answer: The pressure and areas you're brushing are gonna matter more than whether it's an electric or not. It's very easy to go overboard with an electric brush and make your gum recession worse (ask me how I know).

Also, some gum recession can be genetic and no matter how much money you shell out you're not gonna fix it without a gum graft. If you're brushing all areas of your mouth gently and thoroughly, and flossing every night, then it won't really matter if you use an electric or manual. Pick what you prefer, and if you want an electric, consider getting a travel model like the Phillips One to save money and try it out before you commit.
posted by Pemberly at 5:06 PM on June 12, 2023

Best answer: My dentist said use a manual, not an electric. The big thing is flossing. I have found that buying a kid's toothbrush means softer bristles and also, you can have Spiderman.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 5:56 PM on June 12, 2023 [4 favorites]

Best answer: This (1) specific toothbrush with ultra soft feathery bits

combined with (2) gentle up & down brushing technique & gentle massaging my gumline

combined with (3) re-learning how to floss better (I was already flossing twice a day, but not properly all the way under the timeline)

stopped my gum recession in its tracks.
posted by phunniemee at 6:50 PM on June 12, 2023

Best answer: I had a painful operation related to receding gums and the Periodontist said I should look forward to several more of those because my gums looked terrible, and that I should use a sonic toothbrush. Used a Sonicare since then and have not had any more serious gum issues for 20 years.
posted by mmoncur at 8:58 PM on June 12, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I have gum problems related to autoimmune disease and my dentist recommended a Sonicare to me. Mine has a "gum care" mode and I use soft bristles.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 9:26 PM on June 12, 2023

There's also the "extra soft" bristle toothbrushes that are typically not available in stores but you can get them on Amazon. Since I've switched to one of those, my dentist no longer mentions that I brush too hard.
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 6:13 AM on June 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Another Sonicare user here, and it works some wonders - great for the gumline, and overall does such a good job that apparently the dentist believes I floss regularly as well..
posted by FatherDagon at 7:27 AM on June 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Nthing Sonicare. I started using a Sonicare and a cordless WaterPik a year or two ago, and I haven't looked back. The last time I had one of those periodic pocket tests done the hygienist exclaimed, "That's a dramatic improvement over your last test!" When I told her about the changes I'd made to my tools and routine she was less surprised by my result & told me to keep it up.
posted by slkinsey at 9:16 AM on June 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: The thing that has helped my receding gums more than anything is a water flosser. At first my gums bled like hell when I used it, but that soon stopped, and my gums are now in much better shape than they were a few years ago.

I also use an electric toothbrush (Oral B) and try to keep it against each tooth in turn rather than any kind of back-and-forth motion.
posted by essexjan at 10:34 AM on June 13, 2023 [2 favorites]

Really recommend asking two separate dentists about this. Mine recommends either electric or water pressure though. Going electric has really helped me remember exactly how long I'm supposed to be brushing each quadrant. Turns out I cut corners without a timer!
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 10:40 AM on June 13, 2023