Electric Toothbrush... Pros? Cons?

I just got a Phillips Sonicare, which was about $80 at the dentist, but over $100 retail. I love it.

My mom uses a regular Crest Spinbrush, which is pretty cheap, and her dentist told her that he hasn't been so impressed with a 59 year old's teeth in a long time.

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Love sonicare, but personally wouldn't want to share with hubs. I keep mine a lot cleaner than he does. They have timers which are awesome for keeping u brushing ling enuf. Most people brush less than 30 seconds. Should brush at least two minutes to really accomplish plaque removal. One con, other than cost. They can be messy. You need to stop and spit bc it generates a lot of saliva which is good, bc the sonic waves vibrate through the fluid, but if u don't spit, toothpaste will be everywhere. You won't go back to a regular.once you feel how clean ur teeth are. Also, don't make the mistake of doing a regular brushing action with electric tb. Angle it at the gum line and let it do the work. I second the Costco suggestion. Also, check at ur dentist, they may have a special for the holidays.

I have had a Sonicare for more than 10 years now. We are on our 3rd brush (the 2nd one still works, handed down to the kids ;).

The best way I can sell you on it is this. Nobody in our family has ever had a cavity since we began using the Sonicare. I am good about flossing, but nobody else in the family is! So just on the Sonicare alone, I bet we've saved thousands of dollars in dentist bills (not to mention the pain and agony of having cavities, and having them filled!) My teeth cleanings usually last about 10 minutes - there's literally never any plaque or tartar to scrape off.

Costco sells the Sonicare for a good price. You may want to check it out if you are a Costco member.

I just buy the cheap ones at Target...with the removable batteries and you can buy "new brush heads"...

We went camping last week and I left the toiletry bag in the car for two days...so I had to pull out the "spare from the dentist"...the non electric one...

Yep electric is going to be a must use for life type of thing. I didn't feel like my teeth got clean.

I once had the Sonic one someone talked about below...and again the camping...forgot it in the communal bathroom and came back and someone took it!

Oral B has a rechargeable one that you can pick up at Walmart for less than $30. There was also a coupon in a recent Sunday paper for $10 off of it and then I think a $5 off coupon for the replacement heads. I believe you can buy the replacement heads in a 1 or 3 pack.

I love mine. I can't think of a con. Look at the ones at Coscto if you have a membership. Pick the best price for it and the refill brushes.

I prefer the good old fashioned elbow-grease toothbrush.
I'm never looking for additional things for my "To Do" list (like change the batteries, assign colors, buy new heads, etc.) becuase I know this will fall under my job description!

Hi R. - I am a dental hygienist, so this is a professional recommendation as well as a personal one. Power brushes are far superior to manual and most people do a MUCH better job with power. I like any of the Oral B Braun products. The least expensive model is fine, which might be a battery operated over an electric. You do not need anything with bells & whistles. Feel free to contact me if you'd like more info. Happy Brushing! :)

I was just reading last night in All You magazine about a rebate on an electric toothbrush through the end of this year. I believe it was a $20 rebate on an Oral B but I can't be sure. I wish I had the mag with me but I don't - maybe Google and see what you can find. They FREQUENTLY have rebate offers! You also might want to scour the sales ads for CVS, Target, Walmart. I got an Oral B (the cheapest one) for almost free at CVS after coupons! Personally, I have bought both the fancy schmancy ones and the el cheapos. There really doesn't seem to be a difference between the two but it is SO worth it to have an electric toothbrush!!! The one my husband and I have actually came with 2 handles so it was like getting 2 for 1. It's been a few years but you might want to see if they still sell it like that. FYI, the brush heads are expensive so you will want to keep an eye out for sales and coupons. I frequently buy mine from Kohls when they are on sale and I have a 30% off coupon or from Costco. If you have any elves who want to know what to get you for Xmas, suggest brush heads!!! :)

DH and I got the Braun/Oral B rechargable at Costco after our dentist commented that we both had a bit of gumline recession from brushing too hard. I was reluctant to spend the $ at first until DH reminded me "It's cheaper and less painful than gum surgery". We chose the Braun over the Sonicare because the Braun refills were less expensive. All our checkups since then have been fine and no further gumline recession.

Can't remember the model but Oral B, I can't use a regular brush anymore! My teeth have never been brighter.