Dental care: does it brush better electrically?
Dr. Andrea Bannert has been with since 2013. The doctor of biology and medicine editor initially carried out research in microbiology and is the team's expert on the tiny things: bacteria, viruses, molecules and genes. She also works as a freelancer for Bayerischer Rundfunk and various science magazines and writes fantasy novels and children's stories.
More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.Electric or manual work - when it comes to brushing your teeth, opinions differ. Scientists have now put the test to the test - with clear results.
Insufficient oral hygiene causes so-called plaque to form on the teeth: a thin film of proteins, carbohydrates and phosphates in which a large number of microorganisms cavort. These can then cause uncomfortable inflammation on the gums (gingivitis) or the periodontal structures (periodontitis). Anne-Marie Glenny and her colleagues at the University of Manchester wanted to know which toothbrush is most effective at removing plaque: the good old manual toothbrush or an electric cleaning device? The researchers were also interested in whether the better method could measurably reduce inflammation.
Less plaque, less inflammation
The scientists evaluated a total of 56 studies that had been carried out between 1964 and 2011. A total of 2,500 people brushed their teeth with a manual toothbrush for the examinations, the same number with an electric one.
Doctors checked the effect on the plaque once after four weeks and again after three months. The result: the electrical devices quickly beat manual labor. They removed the plaque an average of 11 percent more thoroughly. After three months this effect was even more evident. With the electric brush, plaque was reduced by as much as 21 percent.
Plus points for rotating heads
Less breeding ground for bacteria also means less inflammation of the gums and the gums. In the group of electric cleaning people, gingivitis or pardontitis occurred six (after one month) and eleven percent (after three months) less than in subjects who used a manual toothbrush. The positive effect of electrical devices was greatest when the head was rotating, brushing with a sideways movement achieved somewhat less success.
Nevertheless, the electric toothbrush does not dispense with careful oral hygiene, emphasize the scientists: If you do not brush properly, you will not achieve the desired effect even with electrical assistance. It is important to clean your teeth regularly and systematically - at least twice a day and for three minutes. Complete oral hygiene also includes cleaning the interdental spaces with dental floss or an interdental brush.
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