• An electric toothbrush could help you brush better and more consistently than using a manual toothbrush.
  • If you want clean teeth and healthy gums without breaking your budget, you can’t go wrong with the highly effective Oral-B Pro 1000 electric toothbrush.
  • If you’re still a fan of the good old fashioned manual toothbrush, check out our guide to the best toothbrushes here.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “You only need to brush and floss the teeth you want to keep.” While the words are undeniably tongue-in-cheek, there’s considerable truth to them. Proper oral care, which includes twice-daily brushing and once-daily flossing, is critical if you want to hang onto your choppers well into old age.

Do you really need an electric toothbrush?

According to the American Dental Association, both manual and electric toothbrushes are effective at removing plaque if properly wielded. The problem, however, comes with the “properly wielded” part. Many people fail to brush the full recommended two minutes, don’t carefully work the brush around the entire set of teeth and the gum line, and don’t brush gently but with speed. By contrast, a good electric toothbrush:

  • Oscillates thousands – even tens of thousands – of times per minute, as compared to the typical 300 strokes per minute when brushing manually
  • Removes more plaque than a manual toothbrush
  • Has a signal or timer of some type to motivate longer brushing
  • Is easier for people with arthritis or other hand weaknesses to use
  • Is likelier to reduce gum disease than a manual toothbrush

Who should use an electric toothbrush?

While anyone can choose to use an electric toothbrush, there are some people specifically who can benefit from them.

According to Dr. Ira Handschuh, a general and cosmetic dentist at The Dental Design Center in White Plains, New York, one example of patients who should use electric toothbrushes are those undergoing orthodontic care, especially since electric brushes can get to those hard to reach regions that manual brushes cannot. Dr. Handshuh also recommends that elderly patients, those who have had a stroke, or anyone else with dexterity issues use an electric toothbrush.

Misconceptions about electric toothbrushes and proper practices

“It’s a misconception that using an electric toothbrush will guarantee a healthy mouth,” says Dr. Handschuh. “Brushing with both manual brushes and electric brushes can be challenging, and if not used properly, can lead to gum disease advancing, potential cavities, and other oral complications. I always take the time to review the proper brushing techniques with all my patients.”

Regardless of what type of toothbrush you decide to wield, it's important to maintain proper techniques like brushing twice daily, reaching every part of your mouth including your gums and tongue, and not brushing too hard or too long.

If you do decide to go with an electric toothbrush, Dr. Handschuh recommends choosing one with soft bristles - never hard.

"I always stress that you should not put too much pressure on the gums, as that can cause the gums to recede with time and even wear away tooth structure," says Dr. Handschuh. "Many electric toothbrushes actually come with timers, so patients can monitor the length of time brushing, as well as pressure sensors to ensure patients do not damage teeth and gum tissue."

We want you to keep your teeth healthy and strong for a lifetime. That's why we've done the research to bring you a selection of electric toothbrushes that we feel are the best choices for most people. In addition to our own testing, we listened to actual product owners and received advice from dentists and dental hygienists when making our decisions. So go ahead and break out your favorite toothpaste. Healthy, clean white teeth are on their way.

Here are the best electric toothbrushes:

Updated on 7/16/2020 by Amir Ismael: Included who should use electric toothbrushes, common misconceptions, and proper practices after speaking with dentist Dr. Ira Handschuh.

The best overall

The Oral-B Pro 1000 is budget-friendly, highly effective, and compatible with a wide range of replacement brush heads.

The Oral-B Pro 1000 is a no-frills electric toothbrush, but it gets the job done, and it gets it done well. It comes with a CrossAction brush head that reaches into every nook and cranny between and within your teeth to scour away up to 300% more plaque than a manual toothbrush would remove.

If you prefer another type of brush head, however, there are plenty to choose from; the Oral-B Pro 1000 is compatible with nine different Oral-B heads, including whitening, sensitive, extra gum line cleaning, deep clean, orthodontic care, and floss action. Just twist and pull to switch out the brush head.

The toothbrush handle has an easily accessed on/off button, and the brush vibrates gently every 30 seconds to let you know it's time to move on to the next quadrant of your mouth. Press too hard, and the toothbrush will stop rotating - overly vigorous tooth brushing is a major cause of gum irritation. When you let up the pressure, the brush will automatically begin to spin once again.

Wirecutter chose the Oral-B Pro 1000 as their top-pick electric toothbrush, and Health also selected this electric toothbrush as a top choice.

Expect to recharge the Oral-B Pro 1000 about once per week. You'll see a flashing red light when the battery is getting low. The recharging base is very small, so there's no need to clear much counter space.

Pros: Great price, effective at removing plaque, many types of compatible brush heads

Cons: Not as fast or as powerful as some newer electric toothbrushes

The best mid-priced electric toothbrush

Foto: Source: Goby

The Goby electric toothbrush works great, costs less than other premium models, and lets you subscribe to brush heads so you pay less over time.

Not all electric toothbrushes are crazy expensive anymore, thanks to startups like Goby. We tried the Goby Electric Toothbrush and loved it.

I usually use a Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush, which costs more than $100, so I was blown away by the $60-$75 price tag of the Goby toothbrush. Equally surprising was just how good it was. I love the two different speed settings and how the moving bristles polish away stains on my teeth and any tartar or plaque that builds up.

The brush heads are a lot more affordable, too, at $6 compared to the $30+ price of Philips brush heads.

The electric toothbrush kit comes with the toothbrush, brush head, hygiene stand, USB charging shell, USB converter, and a hygienic brush cover as a one-time purchase for $75. Alternatively, you can choose to subscribe and pay only $60 for the brush.

If you subscribe, you'll get a new $6 brush head with free shipping delivered once every month, every two months, or every three months - not such a bad deal if you plan to replace your brush heads throughout the year (which you will more than likely want to do).

Read our full review for more info on Goby. - Malarie Gokey

Pros: Affordable, easy to use, great design, subscribe to brush heads

Cons: Not as many fancy settings as high-end ones

The best with a replaceable battery

Foto: Source: Quip

The Quip is a sleek-looking toothbrush that's great for use at home or when traveling. It is affordable, yet it's very effective and more substantial than disposable options.

Quip is one of the many new companies looking to disrupt traditional industries - electric toothbrushes, in this case. You can argue that it doesn't do anything different than other similar products, but it's hard to find an electric toothbrush this good-looking.

The plastic version has a nicely contoured handle that's easy to hold and slim enough to fit inside a travel Dopp kit. It takes a single AAA battery, so there's no need to carry around a charging station. There's only one mode, so it's a no-brainer to use. There are no rotating heads, but the sonic vibrations are more effective than brushing manually, and a 2-minute timer (four 30-second pulses, with a short pause in between) ensure you get the recommended brushing time (it's accepted by the American Dental Association).

I use a silver metal version of the Quip, which is similar to the plastic model in terms of usage. Admittedly, it doesn't feel that much different than the Oral-B manual toothbrush that I also use, but the vibrating bristles make brushing my teeth feel cleaner in less time. But, it's definitely nowhere as powerful as my old trusty Oral-B electric toothbrush (which I've stopped using because I can't find the charging base).

Senior reporter Connie Chen said in her review, "Quip solved my two biggest problems with teeth brushing: making sure I was brushing long enough and replacing my toothbrush regularly. It keeps me honest, and I just let my mind wander for the four minutes a day I spend maintaining my oral hygiene."

Yes, most budget electric toothbrushes will seem less solid and effective than a premium model, but you're also not spending $50-$100 for a complex tool. The whole concept around Quip is to get people to brush more (and to sign up for its $5 three-month refill plan).

The Quip isn't innovative by any means, but for people who don't brush regularly or replace their toothbrush often enough, the Quip is a nice (and stylish) solution to those problems. With that said, Quip can get costly if you opt for the metal or special editions and you add-on the extras.

Insider Reviews senior reporter Connie Chen compared the Quip to other similar electric toothbrush startups. See how it compares.

Read our full review. - Les Shu

Pros: Low price, great for travel, sleek design, replaceable head and battery, comfortable to use

Cons: Not the most powerful, no adjustable settings, plastic version has limited color options

The best state-of-the-art electric toothbrush

Foto: Source: Oral B

The Oral-B Pro 7500 Electric Toothbrush makes superlative use of technology with onboard sensors, timers, and a powerful app.

If you're an unabashed technology fan who also happens to be deadly serious when it comes to oral health, you have just met your new toothbrush. The Oral-B Pro 7500 Electric Toothbrush makes use of all the latest developments in electric toothbrush design, including a carefully designed brush head that uses three distinct motions to dislodge food bits, break up plaque, and polish away stains.

While in use, the circular brush head oscillates, rotates, and pulsates, leaving your teeth fresh-from-the-dentist clean with every brushing. All this action also helps promote ideal gum health. But while the Oral-B Pro 7500 electric toothbrush packs plenty of power, what it won't do is concentrate too much of that power: The toothbrush has a built-in pressure sensor that stops its motion and illuminates a light ring set into the handle if you are pressing too hard, thereby protecting tooth enamel from undue damage.

The toothbrush is a fine choice for people with varied oral health needs, as it can operate in five modes, which are gum care, daily clean, deep clean, sensitive, and whitening. And if those unique features were not enough, the Oral-B Pro 7500 also uses a 30-second vibrating timer that helps you brush each area of your mouth for the proper dentist-recommended amount of time.

But in many ways, it's the features that aren't even actually built into the toothbrush that make it a standout. The Oral-B Pro 7500 electric toothbrush is Bluetooth enabled and can link to an app on your phone or tablet. Using said app, you can track your brushing habits and set goals for yourself. When you have a clear sense of how you are managing your oral health over time, you have the best chance of enjoying a lifetime with minimal tooth or periodontal issues. - Steven John

Pros: Protective pressure sensor, triple action cleaning, connects to app for comprehensive monitoring

Cons: Expensive option

The best for kids

Foto: Source: Philips

Getting your children to brush properly twice per day can be a struggle, but with the fun Philips Sonicare for Kids, they might actually beg to brush their teeth.

Kids and good oral hygiene is typically not a natural combo. Most kids are either reluctant to brush or do a poor job at cleaning their teeth. The Philips Sonicare for Kids makes brushing fun, however, turning a routine task almost into a video game, thanks to the free Bluetooth-compatible app that encourages and rewards good brushing techniques.

Like all Sonicare toothbrushes, the kids' brush uses patented sonic technology for up to 75% more effective removal of plaque and debris than a manual toothbrush. It has a built-in two-minute timer and alerts the child to switch quadrants every 30 seconds while brushing. There are two speed settings, and the brush comes with eight stickers to customize the handle.

But where the fun really starts is with the free app that not only teaches kids about the whys and hows of good oral hygiene, it also turns brushing into a game. Your child will get to adopt a "Sparkly," a cute little creature that gives brushing tips while your child "brushes" the Sparkly's teeth. The app also tracks performance, making it easy to reward good hygiene. Just set your smartphone or tablet where your child can watch while brushing.

Over and over, buyers comment that their kids went from brushing-resistant to actually wanting to brush their teeth. Many state that their child's dental appointments are much, much better since switching to the Sonicare.

The Philips Sonicare for Kids is recommended for ages three and up if the child is using the brush on their own. Younger children should have assistance from an adult, however.

Pros: App makes brushing fun, brush head is sized for children's mouths, very effective at removing plaque and debris from teeth and gum line

Cons: Your child will eventually outgrow the cutesy app

The best for gum health

Foto: Source: Philips

If your gums aren't what they used to be, the Philips Sonicare 2 Series Plaque Control can help bring them back to good health.

According to dental health website AsktheDentist, sonic toothbrushes, which oscillate at astonishing rates - up to 31,000 strokes per minute at full speed - are more effective at reaching and removing plaque between the teeth and beneath the gum line, making a sonic toothbrush the best bet for anyone with gum issues, those who are lackadaisical about flossing, and the majority of people over age 40. Of course, in the oral hygiene field, sonic toothbrush generally means Sonicare, by far the biggest name in the industry.

And out of the many Sonicare models available, the best bet for gum trouble is the Philips Sonicare 2 Series Plaque Control toothbrush. Like all Sonicare brushes, the sonic cleaning action drives fluid between the teeth and under the gum line to break up and remove more plaque than regular toothbrushes, yet the brush is gentle enough to use on orthodontics, implants, veneers, and sensitive teeth. The slim, angled neck makes it easy to reach way back in your mouth, and the timer lets you know when two minutes are up. In fact, the brush automatically turns itself off.

The Philips Sonicare 2 Series Plaque Control even eases you into the sonic brush experience by slowly increasing the power over the brush's first 14 uses, giving you plenty of time to adjust to the ultra-oscillating speed.

A negative, however, is the high price of the replacement heads. Still, if you want a sonic toothbrush that's powerful on plaque, yet gentle on your gums, and you don't need a lot of bells and whistles, this is a great choice.

Pros: Excellent for gum care, reasonable price

Cons: Replacement heads are expensive

Check out our other oral care guides

Foto: Source: Rido/Shutterstock

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