For many years now, dentists have been recommending electric toothbrushes to not just their patients but anyone who reaches out to them for any advice on how to brush. You need to really use an advanced electric toothbrush to see the difference it makes on your brushing. One of the first things you’ll notice is how with an electric toothbrush you achieve much better cleaning despite reducing the amount of pressure you apply - something which you cannot do with ordinary toothbrushes.
Despite electric toothbrushes being in the market for decades, Indians mostly still use ordinary toothbrushes. The most we’ll do to “take care” of our teeth while brushing, is maybe flirt around with different bristle styles for a while before zeroing in on one we like. There’s nothing wrong with that, but do most of us know what we’re missing? Could there be myths floating around in people’s minds about electric toothbrush usage which prevents them from taking the plunge? We think so, and that’s why we’re debunking some of these myths.
Myth #1
Brushing harder cleans better
This is one of the most common oral hygiene misconceptions out there. Of course you need to apply some amount of minimal pressure when brushing your teeth, but there’s no correlation between pressure and cleaning. In fact, if you brush too hard, you risk damaging the enamel in your teeth, which helps fight cavities and tooth decay.
Myth #2
There’s not much difference between a normal toothbrush and an electric toothbrush
Wrong again! Sure, millions of people out there use ordinary toothbrushes and more or less have their own set brushing pattern, including pressure, duration, etc. But tests have shown that using electric toothbrushes clean 10% to 50% more plaque from the teeth. Know that “dentist clean” feel you experience after every visit to the dentist? With electric toothbrushes you can feel that every day. Two minutes of electric toothbrush usage means almost 10,000 brush strokes. Try the same with ordinary toothbrushes and your hand might ache for the rest of the day.
Myth #3
White teeth implies healthy teeth
You see photos of celebrities with perfect white teeth and you wonder if that’s what “ideal” looks like. First, those photos are not showing the vast amount of cosmetic dental procedures those people have had to go through to achieve “the look”. Second, just because someone’s teeth are white does not imply there is nothing wrong with them. Dental problems can often brew under the surface of the tooth, which is why it’s so important to regularly clean your teeth thoroughly at home and visit a dentist every once in a while.
Myth #4
Electric toothbrushes can increase injury risk to your mouth
The origin of this myth has something to do with how rudimentary the “power toothbrushes were back in the day when they were invented. Simply put, they were a tad aggressive, which is obviously not great news for the general well being of one’s teeth. But nowadays, thanks to modern tech and research, perfectly safe electric toothbrushes like the Philips Sonicare 3000 series exist. Featuring pressure sensors that minimise any sort of abrasion.
Myth #5
Brush often. No such thing as ‘over brushing’
Just because dentists advise people to brush twice a day, as opposed to once everyday, does not mean that your teeth get cleaner the more you increase that number. There is a thing called ‘over brushing’ which causes damage to the enamel in your teeth and can potentially also injure your gums. People who regularly ‘over brush’ often find their gums receding, which is not healthy at all.
Myth #6
Only use electric toothbrush if you have a specific oral health problem
We can probably chalk this up to not-so-great marketing of electric toothbrushes back in the day. They were seen not as everyday necessities but special devices you’d see at the dentist’s place. The truth is the electric toothbrush is simply a better alternative to regular toothbrushes. Using these should be seen as the norm and not the exception, implying people with perfect oral health can also be using them.
Now that these myths are debunked, what are you waiting for? Go take the plunge of using an electric toothbrush. Believe us when we say - you’ll never go back!
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