Many of us have been advised by our dentists to make the switch from manual to electric toothbrushes, whilst others have made the change based on personal choice. However, it’s possible that you might not be using your electric brush in the most effective way.
Maintaining dental health is as crucial as caring for any other part of the body, a point underscored by orthodontist Dr Ariel Mitch. She recently shared her expertise on TikTok with a video that has since exploded in popularity, amassing an impressive 1.8 million views.
“Brushing with an electric toothbrush is great, but it’s so important to use it correctly!” she emphasised. In her video, which caught the attention of her 366,000 followers, she pointed out a common mistake: manually moving the toothbrush up and down during use could actually be counterproductive.
“The whole thing about electric toothbrushes is that they’re actually designed to do a lot of the work for you,” Dr Mitch clarified. She elaborated: “Electric toothbrushes rotate in a circle to create the desired movements that you want to remove plaque. Because those circular rotations are already built in, all that you need to do is place the brush at a 45-degree angle towards your gums and then slowly move the brush along your teeth making sure to clean all surfaces of every single tooth.”
One perplexed TikTok user commented: “Don’t they oscillate rather than move in a circular pattern?” Dr. Mitch clarified: “Correct! It vibrates back and forth to mimic the circular motions that you would typically do with a manual toothbrush. The overall goal is to let the brush do the work for you!”
Another expressed scepticism, writing: “I just feel like it doesn’t clean like a manual brush lol especially the tongue. The head is so small. I’ll try again.” Dr. Mitch replied: “I still like to use a tongue scraper for my tongue! The actual brush is extremely effective for removing plaque if you’re using it correctly though!”
A third individual was grateful for the advice, saying: “So glad I saw this. I just got my first electric toothbrush and had no idea if I was doing it correctly.” Whilst a fourth person concurred with Dr. Mitch’s suggestion, sharing their personal experience: “Yup! I can attest to this. I went to dentist and was told I pushed my gums far back from brushing incorrectly with electric toothbrush.”
When it comes to brushing, the NHS advises: “For most adults, a toothbrush with a small head and a compact, angled arrangement of long and short round-end bristles is fine. Medium or soft bristles are best for most people.
“If you’re using an electric brush, one with an oscillating or rotating head may work better than a manual toothbrush. But making sure you thoroughly clean your teeth at least twice a day is more important than the type of brush you use. If in doubt, ask your dentist.”