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Sonic Toothbrushes

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. more...

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History

Dr. Scott's 'electric' toothbrush

In the late 1800s in the USA, a notorious quack named \"Dr. Scott\" claimed to invent an \"electric\" toothbrush. However, unlike actual electric bristle brushes, Dr. Scott's brush merely sent a strong electrical current through the brush to whomever 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 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 as those with 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.

Charging

The electronic compartments in 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.

Effectiveness

Research finds most electric toothbrushes are no more effective than the manual variety. However, \"rotation-oscillation\" electric toothbrushes did marginally out-perform manual brushing, removing around 7% more plaque and leading to 17% less gum disease than manual brushes. Any kind of electric toothbrush does tend to help people who are not as good at cleaning their teeth and as a result have had oral hygiene problems. Also, using an electric toothbrush is better for those who have arthritis as it does most of the moving.

This research does not exclude the possibility that people purchasing electric toothbrushes significantly improve their dental hygiene. Someone who has started to take cleaning their teeth more seriously may well improve their technique and at the same time decide on a purchase of an electric toothbrush. Hence the purchase is an effect rather than a cause. Furthermore, if the brusher enjoys brushing better with an electric toothbrush and brushes with it more carefully, more often, or for the proper amount of time because of its use, then it can significantly improve oral hygene by improving compliance with recommendations.