Patients who switched from brushing manually to using the electric Oral-B Ultra Plaque Remover toothbrush showed significant improvement in their oral health, according to the findings of researcher Paul Warren and his colleagues in a general practice study of over 16,000 patients, published in the March 2000 Journal of the American Dental Association. Dental professionals reported improvements in cleanliness, gum condition, tartar and stain reduction when they examined patients before and after using the Ultra Plaque Remover.
History
Ancient civilizations chewed on sticks to clean their teeth. Bristle brushes made of bone and hog's hair were introduced first in China during the late 1400s. Americans began mass producing natural bristle toothbrushes around 1885. A version with nylon bristles, invented by Dupont de Nemours, became popular in 1938; they were marketed as Dr. West's Miracle Toothbrush. The Squibb company sold the first electric toothbrush in America in 1960.
Types and Features
The Oral-B electric toothbrush product line ranges from basic models with limited features to premium models boasting all the bells and whistles. All Oral-B electric toothbrushes are rechargeable and feature a two-minute brushing timer. The super-slim Oral-B Pulsonic Sonic is lightweight, quiet and has a sensitive mode. Oral-B's Vitality series has all the features of the Pulsonic except the sensitive cleaning mode. Vitality brushes come in four varieties: Dual Clean, Vitality Floss Action, Sensitive, and Pro White.The technologically advanced ProfessionalCare series of Oral-B electric toothbrushes offers an alert to let you know when you are brushing too hard. Oral-B's high-end ProfessionalCare SmartSeries includes the sensitive mode plus a polish mode and a Smart Display in the handle that gives you feedback as you brush. The top-of-the-line Smart 5000 toothbrush includes a wireless SmartGuide in addition to the handle's Smart Display.
Benefits
Electric toothbrushes take the effort out of cleaning your teeth. The bristles either rotate in a circular motion, pulsate in and out or vibrate side to side. The movement of the brush head allows the bristles to reach areas that are difficult to clean with manual tools. Children and individuals with limited mobility are likely to experience less difficulty handling and maneuvering the large-grip handle of most electric toothbrushes.
Plaque Removal
Proctor and Gamble claims that you can remove up to 100 percent more plaque with its Oral-B Vitality Floss Action rechargeable toothbrush than with a regular manual toothbrush. A 2005 independent British study by Peter G. Robinson and associates concluded that "brushes that worked with a rotation oscillation action removed more plaque and reduced gingivitis more effectively than manual brushes in the short and long-term."
Brushes for Kids
It is often difficult to get children to practice good dental hygiene with daily tooth brushing. Oral-B offers a special series of battery-powered toothbrushes called Stages for children ages three and up. The toothbrushes feature licensed characters from Disney.
References
- The Library of Congress: Everyday Mysteries
- Oral B: Electric Toothbrush Features Comparison
- Oral B: Why Power Toothbrushes are Better
- Oral B: Stages Power Toothbrushes
- Journal of the American Dental Association: A Practice-Based Study of a Power Toothbrush: Assessment of Effectiveness and Acceptance, Warren, P.R. et al., 2000
- The Cochrane Library: Manual Versos Powered Toothbrushing for Oral Health, Robinson, P. et al., 2003.
