How to choose an electric toothbrush？
In previous articles, we have already introduced the benefits of electric toothbrushes compared to manual toothbrushes. Electric toothbrushes can help us better clean the plaque on our teeth. In this article, we will talk about how to choose an electric toothbrush that suits you, and what aspects you should pay attention to when choosing an electric toothbrush.
Bristles
1. Bristle hardness
It is now a consensus in the toothbrush industry that the bristles cannot be too hard, because too-hard bristles are not conducive to the growth of the gums and even cause serious damage to the enamel and gums. To promote the caring power of their toothbrushes, many manufacturers will make the bristles too soft, but the plaque formed by food residues will become very difficult to clean after more than 24 hours, so super-soft bristles are not easy to clean.
2. End-rounding quality of bristles
When the bristles are just cut, the fault of the bristles is a very flat cut surface. Long-term use of this cut surface will cause damage to our teeth, resulting in enamel damage and gum sensitivity. Therefore, it is necessary to polish the top of the bristle mono-filament to an obtuse angle to make the top smoother. The following figure shows the difference between the brush heads with good and bad rounding rates.
Image resources:
Voelker M A . Catalogue of Tooth Brush Head Designs[J]. J Dent Hyg, 2013, 87 (3) 118-133.
3. Bristle Material
The cleaning power we are talking about is not only for the tooth surface but also for the inter-dental space and the gingival sulcus. At this time, it depends on the material and cutting of the bristles. A W-shaped brush head is recommended, which fits better and can clean well.
Good brush heads generally use DuPont filaments, which are more elastic and wear-resistant than ordinary filaments, and are also food-grade silicone bristles. In the same way, the cost will be higher, but it is definitely worth the money, and it is the perfect brush for cleaning and protecting teeth.
Vibration frequency
The working principle of the electric toothbrush is not complicated. When choosing electric toothbrushes, the most important parameter to pay attention to is the vibration frequency.
It is undeniable that higher frequency can indeed bring a better cleaning effect, which has a direct corresponding relationship with its price. The vibration frequency of most electric toothbrushes on the market is concentrated at 26,000 times/min and 31,000 times/min, and a few electric toothbrushes can reach more than 40,000 times/min. The effect will be better at 31000 times/min, but do not choose electric toothbrushes that exceed 41000 VPM because higher than this value will damage our tooth enamel.
Amplitude of oscillation
As with the vibration frequency, the larger the swing, the larger the cleaning range. However, if the swing is too large, we will feel uncomfortable when brushing our teeth, so the swing of the general electric toothbrush will be conservatively designed at 1-3mm.
Charging method and battery life
1. Battery powered: Dry battery toothbrushes are not durable. The battery needs to be replaced, and the used battery will pollute the environment.
2. USB cable charging: USB cable charging is more convenient, as long as there is a USB port, such as a computer USB port, you can charge the electric toothbrush. The advantage is that the price is lower, because it uses a rechargeable battery, which is more convenient to use at home or when traveling.
3.Contact charging: It uses two sets of positive and negative metal probes, which are connected to the charger and the battery terminal respectively. The metal probe has a spring inside. Under the action of pressure, the probe spring shrinks, and the two sets of metal contacts are connected for charging.
4. DC charging: It uses two sets of positive and negative metal sleeves, divided into plug and receptacles, which are respectively connected to the charger and the battery end, and the metal sleeve is used for connected charging.
5. Wireless charging: It is inductive charging, bottom induction charging, bottom magnetic induction charging, and magnetic sidewall induction charging.
The advantages of rechargeable electric toothbrushes are that they are more environmentally friendly, have strong endurance, have a long service life, and can be recycled; their disadvantages are that they are generally more expensive than those using dry batteries, and there is a wire, and the place where the base and the toothbrush come into contact are prone to rust spots.
Cleaning Mode
Different people have different degrees of tooth sensitivity and requirements for using electric toothbrushes, which requires adjusting the built-in cleaning mode of electric toothbrushes to suit our teeth.
Low-end electric toothbrushes on the market generally have 2-3 cleaning modes, and mid-to-high-end electric toothbrushes have 4-6 cleaning modes. It does not mean that the more brushing patterns, the better the toothbrush. But to a certain extent, it can meet the adaptation needs of our teeth. Try to choose a variety of cleaning modes and models with adjustable strength, which can be adjusted according to the user's sensitivity.
Noise
Noise is an indicator that affects the experience of electric toothbrushes in later use. Sonic toothbrushes have natural advantages in terms of noise. Generally, in standard mode, when the noise is less than 60dB, you can brush your teeth comfortably without affecting others.
Comfortable feel of toothbrush
The grip feeling of the toothbrush is subjective. Generally speaking, the brush handle needs to be moderate in thickness, which can satisfy both men and women. It is best to have a certain anti-slip design on the handle to prevent the toothbrush from slipping during use. In addition, you can also experience the vibration of the handle when purchasing an electric toothbrush. Because the material of an excellent electric toothbrush is relatively thick, the handle will not vibrate strongly with the brush head. The handle of some electric toothbrushes with poor materials will feel very strong, and the grip during use will naturally not be much better. Although brushing your teeth is just a matter of two or three minutes, the weight of an electric toothbrush should not be too heavy. Lightweight electric toothbrushes are less labor-intensive and easier to control during use.
Purchasing advice
1. The types of brush heads should be multiple. Children's oral development changes rapidly, and a wide variety of products can be selected for different stages of your baby's oral development.
2. Choose high-quality bristles. Most of the cheap or inferior products will choose inferior nylon filaments to save costs, the quality is poor, and the wear rate is also high! It is recommended to choose high-quality DuPont bristles or soft bristles, which are soft and friendly to younger children.
3. The size of the brush head is similar to the height of the teeth. The size of the brush head is very important. The brush head needs to be about the same height as the teeth; the width is about the same length as 2-3 teeth; the small brush head will be more flexible, and the baby does not need to open the mouth too much.
4. Products with a bristle rounding rate higher than 80% are preferred. The higher the rounding rate, the better the protection of the child's tender mouth. Therefore, the roundness rate of the selected products should be higher than 80%.
For adults:
Adult teeth are more complex. It is recommended to screen according to your situation through the above 7 aspects of the article.
The vibration frequency of mid-end electric toothbrushes is the same as that of high-end electric toothbrushes. The difference is that high-end electric toothbrushes have more adjustable modes and a richer personalized experience. For example, some high-end electric toothbrushes provide a convenient portable case for business trips. Some electric toothbrushes can also link with the App to conduct more comprehensive management of teeth. Compared with these gorgeous accessories, you should pay more attention to the two practical functions of the toothbrush, time-reminder and pressure sensing.
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