There are so many different toothbrush options out there. If you have trouble with a manual toothbrush for dexterity reasons or because you’ve got really tight corners – maybe getting those way back molars, or a hairpin turn along the back of lower teeth – an electric toothbrush might be a great option for you. Before I get into why the Oral-B is my favorite electric toothbrush right now, I want to emphasize that lots of electric toothbrushes are just fine for cleaning teeth. The Quips and Sonicares and generic brand brushes are probably still getting the job done. I don’t want you to think that you have to throw away something new or perfectly functional and replace it with an Oral-B. However, if you are looking for a new toothbrush anyway, I have a couple of reasons why I think the Oral-B is superior.
The Oral-B is Round
If you’ve ever looked at the shape of the polishing cup that your dentist or hygienist uses, you’ll notice that it’s round like a cup shape. There’s a reason why. That roundness matches the scallop of your gums as they sit on your teeth. As you apply pressure to the brush head, the bristles spread out on your tooth, cleaning the little pocket between the tooth and the gum just along that scallop.
It’s Going to Keep You From Brushing Too Hard
There’s a pressure sensor in the Oral-B that yells at you when you’re brushing too hard. This is actually a problem and can be exacerbated with abrasive whitening toothpastes and acidic diets. Like everyone living a modern life, the stress of the dog and the boss and the cable guy showing up two hours after his four hour time window is a lot to take. And the Oral-B toothbrush is going to let you know when you’re taking it out on your teeth.
It Keeps Track of Time Without a Timer
Sure, the box includes a timer. I don’t use it. There is a countdown within the Oral-B itself that vibrates one pulse for every 30 seconds you’ve been brushing and it’s one of my favorite features. It helps you know if you’re rushing and need to slow down. So at thirty seconds of brush time it pulses once, at one minute of brush time it pulses twice. At a minute thirty it pulses three times, etc. How long should you be brushing? At least two minutes. Use the timer in the box as an extra in the kitchen
The Silly Things
Now there’s a couple of things that Oral-B does that I’m not a huge fan of – one is that they make a lot of silly brush heads. If you have teeth, you need the soft one. That’s it. Flossing action is one big lie. Nothing is replacing flossing – not a toothbrush, not a mouthwash – no matter how much you want to hear it, all of that is just marketing and fairy dust. Get the soft basic toothbrush head.
Another thing they do is have multiple settings, like different vibrations and patterns and frequencies – you just need one. Out of the box just turn it on and off and that’s the only setting you need. Keep the manual if it gives you peace of mind but you don’t need to read it. Just use the on and off button.
It also connects to bluetooth – I don’t know about you but I already have trouble connecting things like speakers with bluetooth. Maybe I’m just getting older, but I’m not about to spend five minutes troubleshooting my toothbrush’s bluetooth so I can track my brushing habits.
The Oral-B is the Best Brush on the Market at This Time
So to recap, despite some of the silly things that Oral B throws in for marketing purposes, as of now, it’s the best electric toothbrush out there because its round shape adapts to the shape of your teeth and gums the best, the handy pressure sensor so you don’t go too hard on the brushing, and the built in timer that vibrates as a mark of time which I see as just good product design. They do make several different models and as far as I’m concerned, the only reason to get the most expensive one is how fancy you are feeling and the difference in design. The higher end ones come in black and purple and rose gold and are genuinely very pretty.
I am an amazon affiliate and so if you found this blog post useful and want to pick up a brush, it’s no extra cost to you to purchase from the link below and we get a small commission from it. We are a small business and really appreciate the support.
Oral-B 1500 Smart Electric Toothbrush – Basic Model
Oral-B GENIUS X LUXE Electric Toothbrush – Fancy Model
If you already have an electric toothbrush that works fine you don’t need to toss it out and go buy an Oral B tomorrow. But if you’re looking to replace an old brush anyway or maybe you’re looking to purchase an electric toothbrush for the first time this is the one you should go for. Thank you for reading and happy brushing!
