Sonic toothbrushes - worth it?

[SVS]

Sonic toothbrushes, eh? What are they like? Worth the money? Are some better or worse than others?

[grumbledoak]

The Philips Sonicare ones are very good. They can be quite expensive, but I could never see any reason not to just buy the basic one at £40 ish.

The sensation of your eyeballs vibrating takes a bit of getting used to.

[LeoSayer]

grumbledoak said:

The sensation of your eyeballs vibrating takes a bit of getting used to.

I'd give my eye teeth for one of these.

[addz86]

I got one for Christmas and it's really good, teeth feel like they've been polished at the dentist and I was already using a decent electric one beforehand

The tickling nose and eyes takes some getting used to though

[Driller]

I'm a dentists (for those who don't know) and for the last 20 years I've used nothing but the most basic round headed Oral-B/Braun electric toothbrushes. They cost about £15.

[MrBarry123]

I bought a Philips Sonicate DiamondClean in November and it's good - my teeth look and feel cleaner and they're very effective at gently cleaning your gums and between teeth.

On the basis of this, I'd say yes, they are worth it.

[Super Slo Mo]

Me too. I had one last year, it's brilliant. Much better results than a manual brush, and better too than the old rotary head one I had years ago.

[Driller]

You can still brush your teeth badly with a sonicare no matter how much it costs

[Trif]

I have this one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-Sonicare-DiamondCl...

Previously I used a manual brush, but found I got a build up on plaque on the back of my front lower teeth that had to be removed by the dentist every check up, he also said I brushed too hard (which is 100% true, I once snapped a manual one in half!). This no longer happens with the sonic brush and I maintain a light hold of the brush throughout the clean. Every time I go back to manual, no matter how much I brush, I don't feel clean.

[GordonL]

Another dentist and another Braun Oral B user. Again the cheapest one I can find. Draw your own conclusions

[SVS]

To the dentists - all things being equal, and assuming you brush well, is there no advantage to a sonic toothbrush then? There are some good deals around, e.g. £30-35 for a Philips Sonicare.

[Super Slo Mo]

Driller said:

You can still brush your teeth badly with a sonicare no matter how much it costs

I'm sure you're right. I feel the improvement for me is tangible though, I don't take it with me when I travel and can feel the difference straight away. That is probably at least in part to me brushing badly with a manual brush.

[Driller]

It's great of course that you're brushing better, that's the priority. My point is that you just don't have to blow a hundred odd quid (or even fifty) on a toothbrush. Of course if people want to, that's their business.

Like I said the cheapest electric brush from Oral-B/Braun will make a world of difference already

[AlexC1981]

I've found the Phillips with its little diamond shaped head gets into gaps more effectively than the round head on the Braun.

[rog007]

A normal (manual!) toothbrush used well at least twice a day for around 3 minutes each, daily flossing (again, must be done correctly) and reduced sugar intake will suffice in most cases. It's cheaper and also better for the environment. Good luck!

[LordGrover]

×bump×
Used properly, can these devices genuinely do a better job than a regular toothbrush?
I ask because there are many advocates of electric shavers - they are all wrong.
I've not found any shaver that beats a skilfully wielded DE safety razor.
Is the same true for oral b toothbrushes touted by my dentist?

[Patch1875]

They make a big difference going back to using a normal brush your teeth just don't feel clean.

[Driller]

LordGrover said:

×bump×
Used properly, can these devices genuinely do a better job than a regular toothbrush?
I ask because there are many advocates of electric shavers - they are all wrong.
I've not found any shaver that beats a skilfully wielded DE safety razor.
Is the same true for oral b toothbrushes touted by my dentist?

Agree about electric shavers!

I've personally used an Oral B electric toothbrush for the last 20 years though. You can clean just as well with a manual brush but it takes longer and you have to be more careful with technique.

[Flip Martian]

I would definitely recommend the Sonicare brushes. Used properly, you can see and feel the difference in your teeth quite quickly. I was sceptical at first but the diamond shaped heads of these seems to work better for me than a normal or round brush. And you can walk around doing other things while brushing your teeth (ideal if you're in a rush in the morning).

[Driller]

LordGrover said:

×bump×
Used properly, can these devices genuinely do a better job than a regular toothbrush?
I ask because there are many advocates of electric shavers - they are all wrong.
I've not found any shaver that beats a skilfully wielded DE safety razor.
Is the same true for oral b toothbrushes touted by my dentist?

Agree about electric shavers!

I've personally used an Oral B electric toothbrush for the last 20 years though. You can clean just as well with a manual brush but it takes longer and you have to be more careful with technique.