Electric toothbrushes are a great invention; not only do they make brushing your teeth easier, they also remove more plaque than manual toothbrushes. Most people have used a manual toothbrush before and when you switch to electric you may assume that you have to brush in the same way, but this is not the case.

How to use your electric toothbrush

The beauty of this modern option is that it does all the hard work for you; if you use a manual brush, you have to put the effort in to reap the rewards, while an electric toothbrush does the graft for you. This means that you do not need to brush in the same way as a manual toothbrush, you simply hold the brush gently over your teeth and glide the head of the brush over the surfaces of your teeth. Do not move the brush head aggressively or brush hard, as this can damage the enamel surfaces of the teeth, which increases your risk of tooth decay.

When you brush make sure you cover all sides of the teeth and reach right to the back of your mouth to ensure that you brush all your teeth. Spend equal amounts of time on each quadrant of the mouth and angle your brush head so that you include the gum line when you brush.

Replacing brush heads

You need to replace the head of your toothbrush on a regular basis; some heads have colour indicators on the bristles, which show you when you need to buy a new brush head. But, if you do not have this feature, generally speaking you should try to replace the heads every 3 months. If you use a brush head that is old and flayed, the results will not be as good and your risk of developing gum disease and decay will increase.

How long should I brush for?

You should try to brush for at least two minutes each time; you can buy electric toothbrushes with timers and some people also find it helpful to listen to music while they brush as most songs are between 2 and 3 minutes long. If you would like to see one of our hygienists please contact Harley Street Dental Studio in central London.