Electric toothbrush, made by Braun.

An electric toothbrush is a toothbrush that uses electric power to move the brush head, normally in an oscillating pattern, though electric toothbrushes are often called 'rotary' toothbrushes.

History

Dr. Scott's 'electric' toothbrush

In the late 1800s in the USA, a man named Dr. George A. Scott claimed to invent an "electric" toothbrush.^[1] However, unlike actual electronically-powered bristle brushes, Dr. Scott's brush merely sent a strong electrical current through the brush to whoever was using it at the time. The shock was apparently (according to lore of the time) supposed to "promote good health".

Evolution of the modern toothbrush

Although a true electric toothbrush was first conceived in 1880^[2] and reliably sold in 1939 (in Switzerland), it took almost 30 years for the invention to be produced in the USA; the Broxodent, was a rotating electric toothbrush introduced by Squibb Pharmaceutical at the centennial of the American Dental Association in 1960. These were initially created for patients with limited motor skills, as well orthodontic patients (such as those with braces). Claims have been made that these are more effective than manual toothbrushes, as it leaves less room for patients to brush incorrectly.

Electric toothbrushes such as those made by Braun, have become increasingly cheap. However, part of this is offset by the (relatively) high retail cost of the disposable brush heads.^{citation needed}

Effectiveness

Independent research finds that most electric toothbrushes are no more effective than the manual variety.^{[3] [4]}. The exception is the "rotation-oscillation"-models, including many of the electrical brushes in Braun's Oral B-series^[5][6][7], but even this brush performs only marginally better than a regular manual brush. The research done indicates that the way the brushing is performed is of a higher importance than the choice of brush. For certain patients with limited manual dexterity however, dentists strongly feel that electric toothbrushes can be especially beneficial ^[8].

Key Functions

Type of motion

Three main mechanics in how the toothbrush head works in electric toothbrushes are vibrating, oscillating, and sonic. Most studies have focused upon the vibrating and oscillating heads, but not the sonic type.

Power source and charging

The electronic compartments in most of the electronic toothbrushes are completely sealed to prevent water damage. There are no metal contacts. These toothbrushes charge using a technique called inductive charging. In the brush unit is one half of a transformer, and in the charge-unit is the other part of the transformer. When brought together, a varying magnetic field in one coil induces a current in the other coil, thereby allowing for the charging of a battery.

Other electric toothbrushes use replaceable batteries, disposable or rechargeable, storing them in the bottom, generally thicker than a normal toothbrush.

Timer function

Most electric toothbrushes have a timer for two minutes via extra buzzing or noise. Quality models may have an incremental timer that buzzes four times or every thirty seconds up to two minutes. Dentists consider the incremental timer to be a key function ^[9]. The benefit of the timer function is to encourage brushing to last two minutes. The benefit of the incremental timer is to alert the user to brush each quarter of the mouth for a consistent clean in all areas of the mouth. A new release in 2008 was the Smart Guide by Oral B Braun that shows individuals via a wireless display of functions to guide brushing. The timer function is important because brushing too quickly is a significant cause of inadequate oral hygiene.

References

1. ^ American Artifacts - Dr. Scott's Quack Electric Devices
2. ^ Academy of General Dentistry - Dental advances
3. ^ [1] Robinson PG, Deacon SA, Deery C, Heanue M, Walmsley AD, Worthington HV, Glenny AM, and Shaw WC. Manual versus powered toothbrushing for oral health. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007 Issue 4
4. ^ [2] Deery C, Heanue M, Deacon S, Robinson PG, Walmsley AD, Worthington H, Shaw W, Glenny AM. The effectiveness of manual versus powered toothbrushes for dental health: a systematic review. Journal of Dentistry. Volume 32, Issue 3, March 2004, Pages 197-211
5. ^ Thumbs down for electric toothbrush - BBC News
6. ^ [3] Penick, Catherine (2004) Power toothbrushes: a critical review - International Journal of Dental Hygiene 2 (1), 40-44. doi: 10.1111/j.1601-5037.2004.00048.x
7. ^ Manual versus powered tooth brushing for oral health. Commentary
8. ^ A dentist's perspective on the whether patients should be using electric or manual toothbrushes. Commentary - The Smile Team Balwyn North Dentist
9. ^ What to look for when buying an electric toothbrush. Commentary - The Smile Team Balwyn North Dentist