Sonic Toothbrush - How It Works and Why It is Essential | Colgate SG (2024)

The dental hygiene landscape has changed dramatically during the past few decades. More people have access to oral healthcare today than ever before. Still, it is much better to stick to the basics than to have expensive equipment take care of more serious dental issues. A great way is using better toothbrushes to ensure your dental hygiene is at its best.

Oscillating-rotating electric toothbrushes seem like the perfect solution. However, a more advanced version enhances their function even further: the sonic electric toothbrush.

What are sonic toothbrushes?

According to a Journal of Oral Hygiene & Health study, a sonic electric toothbrush emits ultrasound and sonic waves to vibrate the brush. It has a lower amplitude of motion at a higher frequency generated from a piezoelectric crystal embedded inside the hilt of the brush. The sonic waves massage the salivary glands, which increases saliva flow and assists with cleaning teeth. It gives the sonic electric toothbrush a lot of cleaning power and that iconic hum caused by its audible vibrations.

Some sonic brushes can sync with an app to track your brushing behaviour. The duo can help you spot missed areas by monitoring where and how you brush using sensors and advanced algorithms.

Difference between oscillating-rotating and sonic toothbrushes

Since powered mechanisms drive both oscillating-rotating and electric sonic brushes, you can easily misidentify one for the other. Nevertheless, many factors differentiate the two. Some of the most noteworthy ones include:

Function

An oscillating-rotating electric toothbrush relies on an electric motor to power the brushing motion. On the other hand, a sonic toothbrush is a rechargeable toothbrush that depends on an ultrasonic resonator as it vibrates to power the stroke. In simple terms, an oscillating-rotating toothbrush moves while a sonic toothbrush vibrates.

Speed

With an oscillating-rotating electric toothbrush, you can get stroke speeds in the range of 2,500 to 7,500 strokes per minute. Thanks to its high-frequency technology, those speeds can reach up to 30,000 strokes per minute with a sonic toothbrush.

Efficiency

Oscillating-rotating toothbrushes do a great job mixing water, saliva, and toothpaste to act as a cleaning agent. Sonic electric toothbrushes are made efficient by transmitting the vibrations through that mixture. It allows for removing plaque and cleaning hard-to-reach areas of the mouth.

Benefits of a sonic electric toothbrush

The introduction of sonic toothbrush technology into your life can bring you many oral hygiene benefits. A few crucial ones include-

Faster thorough brushing

The high frequency of vibrations allows sonic toothbrushes to rapidly clean your teeth, gums, and tongue. Most of them are soft bristle electric toothbrush variants, reaching widths close to 0.01 mm. Such thin strands can quickly get to the more delicate parts of your mouth to clean them thoroughly. You only need to look at Colgate Gum Care Heads to observe the gentleness of sonic toothbrushes.

Less susceptible to diseases

A healthier mouth means fewer bacteria and plaque build-ups. It can lead to better resistance against diseases such as gingivitis and halitosis. This is possible with electric toothbrushes that give you a superior brushing routine vs manual toothbrush.

It fits multiple gum types

Sonic toothbrushes allow for a variety of highly customizable modes. It makes it easier to configure your toothbrush according to specific dental needs. For example, you can choose between modes that are designed for sensitive teeth, whitening effect, super clean,etc depending on your dental goals.

Choosing the right sonic toothbrush

According to the WHO, oral diseases affect nearly 3.5 billion people worldwide. Most of them are treatable early and require better daily dental care. It is why you must be equipped with a toothbrush that provides the best oral care daily.

Choosing the right toothbrush is just as important as developing a good oral care regimen. Consider handle style (it should feel comfortable in your hand), head shape, and type of bristles. A toothbrush with a small head makes it easier to reach every spot in the mouth. And soft bristles will clean your teeth without damaging your gums or enamel.

Are you still confused regarding the correct sonic toothbrush for your dental needs? You can try out a Colgate Electric Toothbrush. It allows you to personalise your brushing experience with 33 custom combinations that you can tailor specifically to your oral requirements.

Other notable features include:

  • Smart coaching ensures you cover all quadrants of your mouth.

  • Four different modes and 10 levels of vibration to choose from, letting you boost dental hygiene and achieve superior brushing comfort. Squeaky Clean, Sparkle, and Gum Care modes have 10 levels of intensities; Night Spa has 3 levels of intensities.

  • Smart pressure sensors alerts you when you are brushing too hard and need to adjust your pressure.

  • An electric toothbrush with a timer that recognizes your brushing accomplishments. Depending on the mode, it shuts it off automatically after 2-3 minutes.

  • Soft and tapered tip bristles for deep, gentle cleaning. Ultra-slim 0.01 mm bristles that fit between your teeth and along the gumline.

  • A tongue cleaner to keep your breath fresh by removing bad breath causing bacteria. Easily accessible from the rear of the brush head.

  • Ergonomic and beautifully designed grip

Proper brushing technique

Whether you opt for a sonic toothbrush or not, make sure you brush correctly to provide the best care for your teeth. Use short, gentle strokes, and pay extra attention to the gum line, back teeth, crowns, fillings, and other vital areas. Clean specific sections in the following order:

  • The outer and inner surfaces of upper teeth, then lower teeth

  • Chewing surfaces

  • Tongue to keep your breath fresh

Once you have brushed for two minutes, do not forget to floss! Remember to change your toothbrush (or toothbrush head) every three months as recommended by dental professionals. Whichever toothbrush you prefer, make sure you schedule professional cleanings with your dental professional at least once a year.

Are there any side effects of using a sonic electric toothbrush?

As sonic toothbrushes cater to even the most sensitive teeth, there are no side effects from their use. As per clinical research, the safety assessment after six months of regular use of sonic electric toothbrushes indicated no soft tissue abnormalities. It also discovered that sonic electric toothbrushes remove three times more plaque than a manual toothbrush. They are also better at reducing gingivitis and sulcular bleeding.

Conclusion

In a world quickly becoming more populated with intelligent devices, it is about time that our hygiene products became more ingenious as well. Regular oscillating-rotating electric brushes can only ensure so much in terms of oral care. With sonic electric toothbrushes, you have not only the perfect solution for your daily dental needs but also something that helps save you considerable time and resources long-term.

Sonic Toothbrush - How It Works and Why It is Essential | Colgate SG (2024)

FAQs

Sonic Toothbrush - How It Works and Why It is Essential | Colgate SG? ›

As well as brushing away plaque and food debris, this ultra-fast action sends acoustic pressure waves through the toothpaste and water in your mouth. This blasts tiny bubbles of fluid into the spaces your toothbrush can't reach, giving you a more thorough clean.

What is so special about sonic toothbrush? ›

Efficiency. Oscillating-rotating toothbrushes do a great job mixing water, saliva, and toothpaste to act as a cleaning agent. Sonic electric toothbrushes are made efficient by transmitting the vibrations through that mixture. It allows for removing plaque and cleaning hard-to-reach areas of the mouth.

What is the science behind the sonic toothbrush? ›

What does it do? The sonic movement creates air bubbles that disrupt the plaque biofilm that causes gum disease. It also massages the gums to promote blood circulation. It has also been proven to remove staining and reduce the risk of enamel abrasion and gum recession.

Do sonic toothbrushes make a difference? ›

All other things being equal, studies have shown that sonic and ultrasonic toothbrushes are more effective at removing plaque and bacteria from the teeth than a regular manual toothbrush.

What are the benefits of Sonicare electric toothbrush? ›

You'll remove more plaque and experience brighter teeth. In fact, a Cochrane study found1 that after three months of use, electric toothbrush users experienced a 21% reduction in plaque and an 11% reduction in gum inflammation compared with manual toothbrush users.

What is the downside of a sonic toothbrush? ›

However sonic brushes do have one major drawback; they tend to be quite expensive compared to both manual and electric versions making them cost-prohibitive for some users with tighter budgets who still want a quality brush for cleaning their teeth thoroughly each day!

Is it worth getting a sonic toothbrush? ›

Studies have even shown that sonic toothbrushes still provide superior plaque removal even when they are held up to 4mm away from the tooth's surface! Obviously, users should brush in full contact with their teeth, but this is a testament to how effectively people can clean their teeth with this technology.

Do I need to floss if I use a sonic toothbrush? ›

Do I need to floss if I use an electric toothbrush? Yes, you still need to floss even if you use an electric toothbrush. But a sonic toothbrush does clean all the deep surfaces that are hard to reach, which makes it better for oral care than a manual toothbrush.

Which is better, a sonic or rotating toothbrush? ›

In some trials the oscillating-rotating power brush provided slightly improved reductions in gingivitis and increased plaque removal when compared to the sonic brush but this is not necessarily seen across the board and there are varying and conflicting results among individual studies.

Can I use a sonic toothbrush everyday? ›

Absolutely! Using an electric toothbrush every day is generally recommended and can be beneficial for maintaining good oral hygiene. The consistent use of an electric toothbrush helps remove plaque effectively, reaches difficult-to-reach areas, and promotes better overall cleaning compared to manual brushing.

Do dentists recommend oral B or sonicare? ›

Sonicare's heads are large and flat compared to Oral-B's small round brushes, and they're long-lasting, according to Wellspring Dental dentist Mandy Nebel, who prefers Sonicare over other brands. This specific model — one of two from the brand accepted by the ADA — is a more entry-level Sonicare.

Do sonic toothbrushes remove tartar? ›

Slower sonics with less tip-speed (amplitude), electric, and mechanical toothbrushes are reported to remove all or most tartar above the gumline between scheduled hygiene appointments.

Is Sonicare good for receding gums? ›

We frequently get asked which Sonicare toothbrush is best for gum recession. This is our recommendation. This Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 5100 allows you to change intensities to allow you to brush with less intensity if your gums are feeling sensitive. It also alerts you if you're brushing too hard by pulsing.

Why is Sonicare better than regular toothbrush? ›

Philips Sonicare removes up to 7x more plaque than a manual toothbrush. That's because it makes 31,000 brush strokes per minute, compared with a manual toothbrush's 300 brush strokes per minute. It also makes it far easier to keep the hard-to-access areas of your mouth clean.

What are the disadvantages of an electric toothbrush? ›

They are more expensive compared to manual toothbrushes, making them less accessible to everyone. Electric toothbrushes are also fragile and require a lot of care to prevent damage. Although you have to charge them, overcharging, dropping, or damaging the batteries can mean the end of your electric toothbrush.

Do dentists recommend oral B or Sonicare? ›

Sonicare's heads are large and flat compared to Oral-B's small round brushes, and they're long-lasting, according to Wellspring Dental dentist Mandy Nebel, who prefers Sonicare over other brands. This specific model — one of two from the brand accepted by the ADA — is a more entry-level Sonicare.

Are sonic toothbrushes better than oral B? ›

For a little less money, Oral-B's iO Series 9 also features an impressive suite of capabilities worth considering. While it had slightly lower performance and satisfaction scores than Sonicare, it's still a great option when you want a high-tech model while saving a few dollars.

Do you brush normally with a sonic toothbrush? ›

It's important to use a sonic toothbrush properly. You don't need to actually brush your teeth, as the toothbrush does all the work for you. All you need is to guide the toothbrush along your teeth one quadrant at a time.

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