toothbrush advice

[redbird]

The dental hygienist wants me to start using a Philips Sonicare rechargeable toothbrush, and she said that any of the rechargeable ones would be fine.

I am trying to figure out which of the differences, other than price, between the different models will make a difference to me. And I look at the website, and get to "I don't want to subscribe to a toothbrush," and help!

Yes, I may wind up subscribing for replacement heads, if I'm happy with the thing in a bit, but this is just a weird bit of living in the future. I'm fairly sure the hygienist isn't getting any sort of kickback or payment for recommending these, but it is a specific brand and one CVS doesn't stock--meaning they don't stock the refills. And this feels like exactly the sort of thing not to buy from Amazon because they won't make any effort to make sure I get the thing I'm paying for from the manufacturer, rather than a knock-off that isn't as good and is in an adjacent bin.

I will probably get the least expensive option, not subscribe, and see what I think in a few weeks.

Also, this falls under "even the small stuff about 2020 is getting to me," and I suspect I'd have coped better with this decision/situation a year ago.

Comments

Toothbrush rec

[light_of_summer]

I have used both Sonicare and Oral-B brand electric toothbrushes with good results. I currently use the Oral-B Triumph Professional Care 7000 model with the Sensitive Clean head. I think I did buy it at CVS, though I've bought replacement heads online (via eBay, rather than Amazon).

There is one thing that bugs me about these kinds of products—the batteries are not replaceable (probably for sealing-away-from-water safety reasons). Plan to change the heads about three or four times a year, as you would a manual toothbrush, but expect to replace the whole thing in 4 or 5 years, when the battery won't hold a recharge any more.

The are definitely more expensive than manual toothbrushes, but my gum health got noticeably better when I started electric toothbrushing before bed. And gum health helps with tooth health and also makes regular cleanings less uncomfortable.

[sabotabby]

I got the cheapest rechargeable? And now I need to replace it because they get grimy in ways that I didn't expect because normally you throw out your brushes before they get grimy.

[havocthecat]

Yes, this is true, they do get grimy in unusual ways. I literally pull the head off mine every day after brushing to air it out so it doesn't get moldy surprisingly fast. Also I sometimes peroxide the internal works of my brush and rinse it because ugh.

But it gets my teeth really, really clean, so there's that.

[azurelunatic]

The 30 second quadrant timer is really helpful for me, because I will absolutely space out when brushing my teeth.

I had my choices narrowed down by getting the 2-pack at Costco. I wound up giving one of them to my daughter, whose dentist had recommended she get an electric toothbrush.

[springheel_jack]

I tried both the Sonicare and the Oral B, and I couldn't tolerate the sensation of the Sonicare - it vibrates the head, while the Oral B spins the head back and forth. Gave me a fingernails on the blackboard feeling. So I use the Oral B. I get the heads from Amazon whenever I need them. I get the gentlest one. I forget the name.

The other thing I did was get a waterpik, and got religious about flossing. What with all that I managed to completely fix my gum problems.

[ranunculus]

Donald got a water pic, used it regularly and quit having teeth die and fall out.
M loved the "quadrant" timer on his toothbrush.
Edit: oh, and I use a plain old manual toothbrush, though my gum health got much better when I got better at flossing regularly.

[gerisullivan]

I've been using a Sonicare electric toothbrush for...20 years or thereabouts. Longer than I've lived in Massachusetts, anyway. I like the shape of the brush and the overall vibration. After I'd been using the Sonicare for several years, I was given an Oral-B brush. I used it for a bit, but didn't like the mouthfeel on the round brush. Maybe I would have felt differently if I'd started with that brand.

I buy the refills by the 6-pack at Costco.

It takes a bit of getting used to. Instead of the brushing action you're used to doing with your hand, you move the brush along the surface of your teeth and let the toothbrush provide the brushing action.

Good luck with whichever brand and model you decide on.

[voidampersand]

The older Sonicare models have a brush that screws on. The newer models have a brush that snaps on. I've used both. The newer design is simpler and sturdier. Just get the least expensive Sonicare model that has a snap on brush. Philips keeps adding modes and colors. Modes and colors don't clean your teeth. You just need the motor and a good brush design.

[cmcmck]

fwiw we've used a Braun model for some years and the results are excellent especially as he had gingivitis before which using an electric has cleared.

[joseph_teller]

I think we all are having these sorts of events in our lives from the constant state of stress and anxiety and isolation. My wife spent 20 minutes dithering over which of 2 items to choose from yesterday that made very little real world difference.... sometimes decision overload kicks in and we get stuck in a loop and fearful of the wrong decision. I've done that on what to make for a meal a number of times in the past few months.

[redbird]

I've been making some decisions arbitrarily enough that it might as well be a coin toss: if asked "A or B" I will just say "A," or pick the item that's earlier in the alphabet. Part of what I ran into with this one is the question of whether this choice really is on the order of "should I wear the blue or the purple shirt today?" rather than being more significant--is this blue or purple shirt (which assumes I will wear a shirt), or is it closer to whether I need to buy new shirts?

[havocthecat]

I mail order half a dozen replacement heads at a time off Costco, if you have a membership you can too? If you don't, I'm afraid I cannot help at all.

[therealsnape]

I have a Braun because that's the most used brand where I live, but when I needed a new one, I asked my dentist for advice. He said that the number of turns it makes matters - this is indicated, and here higher speed does mean it does the job better. All the other fancy options are more about making the use more fun, which is a valid argument when one has children in the house. But he recommended not to pay for those unless I thought the amusement I'd get out of it was worth it.

Perhaps this advice is of some use!

[noachoc]

I got a sonic toothbrush at Aldi and it works just fine. I am also 80% sure that MY dentist is getting kickbacks from Sonicare. I don't see any other reason why they would like prominently display the box in all of their exam rooms

[drplokta]

The first time I went to the dentist after buying a Philips AirFloss, she quite unprompted said “Your teeth are fantastically clean — are you doing something different?” She now recommends and sells them. But that’s a flosser, not a toothbrush.

[lcohen]

fyi, the Braun model is Oral-B, or at least that's what my very old electric toothbrush says--it's possible that the two split off since i bought mine. i look for replacement heads at costco when i am a member--a pack of four lasts me a year though i guess that might be confessing to not changing heads often enough? it certainly has improved my gum health. i know nothing about the Sonicare--my dentist recommended getting an electric toothbrush and didn't recommend a brand and i got the least expensive, which has worked fine.

one thing--i also at a certain point got a .... it wouldn't be disposable, but it's not rechargeable brush to take on trips. which is a good idea in and of itself but i like that brush (colgate, i think) a lot less--the head shape isn't my cup of tea. so some people like the round heads and i am one, perhaps because that is what i used first?

[melita66]

A side recommendation with some caveats. Maybe it will be useful to someone.

Caveat 1: Not a useful recommendation if you have sensitive gums.
Caveat 2: Not a rec if you brush hard AKA your toothbrush bristles get all splayed out after a month or so.
Caveat 3: Not useful if you have trouble holding/brushing a manual toothbrush.

My hygienist always recommends and hands out Soft toothbrushes. For many years I've used Medium toothbrushes instead. She recommends Soft because they're gentler on gums, but I've never been able to get my teeth feeling like they're hygienist-clean using Soft toothbrushes.

She frowned at me for a while, but admits that it works fine for me. I'd struggled with gum disease for several years.

I find Medium toothbrushes difficult to find locally so I bought a big pack online.

[bibliofile]

Consumer Reports: best electric toothbrushes of 2020 (subscriber-level access may be available via your library; that's how I get it)

[serene]

Would hearing about our experiences with electric toothbrush buying/using be helpful, or irritating?