Are electric toothbrushes worth the money? We try before you buy
You've likely been told by your dentist that an electric toothbrush is way better for your oral health than a standard one. However, they're much more of an investment, and it's hard to know what the difference between one and another might be.
We've taken the liberty of trying four popular electric toothbrushes on the Australian market – all with points of differentiation that will help keep your gums and teeth happy, healthy, and clean. While none is better than the other, each caters to different needs.
Are you struggling with flossing? Or finding your toothbrush wears out really quickly? Wondering if they're worth the price? We break it down for you.
NOTE: Prices are accurate at time of publishing.
Waterpik Complete Care 5.0
Waterpik's Care Unit consists of two parts: the triple sonic toothbrush and water flosser.
Cost
The Care Unit will set you back around $200, which is good value given the cordless flosser alone can cost up to $220. With some high-quality electric toothbrushes alone costing this much, this set is really good value.
Brushing experience
Waterpik's triple sonic toothbrush offers a really comprehensive brush with all the usual suspects I've come to know from trialling these brushes. It has a built-in timer that buzzes to let you know when to switch the quadrant of your mouth you're brushing (top and bottom of left and right), and stops altogether after two minutes – the universally recommended brushing time.
It has a long, thin brush head, and nylon bristles which feel soft on your teeth. The buzzing isn't imposing, it never felt like my teeth were rattling around while I brushed, and it also has three modes – clean, whiten and massage.
While some of the other toothbrushes I tried felt more high-tech, Waterpik is best known for their flossing devices.
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Flossing experience
The water flosser, referred to as Ultra Plus, removes up to 99.9 per cent of plaque from treated areas, and is 50 per cent more effective than string floss when it comes to improving gum health overall. It's activated by a simple on-off switch, which makes it easy to control, as well as the power switch on the unit and the dial, which controls the pressure setting.
I personally painted my bathroom wall with water in my first attempt to use it, but it does get easier with practise. However, I was hoping for something that wouldn't take any time to perfect, given brushing my teeth is such a small part of my day anyway.
That said, if you're not a regular flosser and need something to help you out, I'd definitely recommend it if you don't mind taking some time to perfect your technique.
Waterpik have also created an app to help you learn to use the flosser across a two-week period, which you can download through the App Store or via Google Play.
The Ultra Plus comes recommended for people with braces, implants, crowns, and veneers, especially given how important it is to protect your teeth once you've had work done in the area.
Rating: 8/10
Foreo Issa 3
This one appears the least like a toothbrush, but it was probably my favourite to try. I found myself going back to it constantly, enjoying both the ergonomic handle, and the feel of silicone against my teeth.
Cost
While this isn't exactly cheap when compared to the price of a manual brush, when you're using it at least twice a day, you'll drive down that cost-per-use in no time. Foreo also recommends replacing the brush head just once every six months, which is less often than the recommendation for a manual toothbrush.
Brushing experience
The body of the ISSA 3 is made from silicone, including the grooves on the back of the brush head, which serve as a tongue and cheek cleaner. The head itself is made up of soft silicone bristles that glide along the gum line, preventing gum recession, and PBT polymer bristles, which clean plaque more intensely.
Combined, the two offer protection against tooth enamel damage, and treat periodontal conditions and gingivitis. The brush gives 11,000 high-intensity sonic pulsations per minute, as well as 16 adjustable intensities, which can be modified throughout brushing.
The silicone design gives it a sturdy feeling while you brush, which leaves your teeth feeling both clean and massaged.
It also has an in-built timer for reminding you to switch up your quadrants, and it buzzes to let you know when your two minutes are up.
What else?
The material might take some getting used to, but it's much more durable than nylon bristles, and will last you longer than almost any other toothbrush.
Foreo's decision to have it recharge via USB also saves space on the bathroom bench. It's also bright and cute, and looks great on my counter.
The model I tried was a minty blue, but it's also available in black, hot pink, and light pink, the most affordable being the latter model, which is currently $142.36 on Amazon.
Rating: 9/10
Sonicare ProtectiveClean Electric Toothbrush
My favourite brush in terms of power, the Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean Electric Toothbrush is a very strong contender on the market. You can grab this one in pink as well, also at a discount.
Cost
The Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 5100 is usually $219, but is available now on Amazon with a 23 per cent discount, bringing it down to $168.99 – It's one of the least costly of the four, and definitely one of the most effective.
Specifications
The Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean offers three modes – clean, white, or gum care. While it can be used for simple brushing, the gum care mode can be great for those with sensitive gums or gingivitis issues, and the whitening mode is said to take effect after just one week, giving you a whiter, brighter smile.
It has 110-220 voltage power, and makes up to 62,000 brush movements per minute, which feels incredibly effective while you're brushing. Like the other two, it has a 'quadpacer' – the buzzing reminder telling you to switch quadrants, and a reminder when your recommended two minutes are up. Its battery can last up to two weeks without needing a recharge, but the simple base charger takes up very little space on the bathroom counter.
Brushing experience
The Sonicare ProtectiveClean really stood out to me – it has strong pulsations and feels like it's really working as you massage each individual tooth. It felt to be the most powerful of all the brushes I tried in terms of voltage, and I trusted it each time to be giving me the best experience.
I also tried the whiten and gum care modes, finding the gum care allowed me to gently massage my gums – a part of my mouth that often gets neglected when brushing.
The whiten mode needs to be used consistently to notice any difference, which I wasn't able to do given how many brushes I was attempting to trial in a small space of time, but I know I'll continue to use this brush and hopefully see improvements to the colour of my teeth, which aren't perfect, given how much coffee I drink.
Philips Sonicare also has an app that can aid you in brushing by taking you through your quadrants, and suggesting slight movements to improve your technique. It pairs with the toothbrush itself for increased guidance.
Rating: 9/10
Colgate Pulse Connected Series 2 Electric Toothbrush
My final electric toothbrush helped me improve through the use of an app, which felt a little confronting at first.
Cost
You can grab the Colgate Pulse Connected Series 2 Electric Toothbrush for $119.31 on Amazon, making it the most affordable of the brushes. However, this doesn't mean it's any less effective than the others, as the toothbrush has a range of features that were really interesting to explore.
Specifications
The Colgate Pulse Connected Series 2 Electric Toothbrush has many similarities to the others, including three modes – a gentle clean, a daily clean, or a deep clean, which you can switch between at your own pace.
The toothbrush is also efficient in its battery life, with a single charge lasting up to two weeks when the brush is used twice a day. Colgate has reported that the Pulse toothbrush has up to 50 per cent more plaque removal than regular toothbrushes at the gum margin after the brush has been used in conjunction with the Colgate Connect app – the biggest point of differentiation.
While Waterpik and Philips have apps to match their electric toothbrush offerings, Colgate Connect is a very user-friendly app that helps you monitor your brushing through Bluetooth. Via this feature, you can ensure your teeth are being brushed comprehensively. And if they're not, don't worry, the app will tell you.
Brushing experience
While the physical brushing experience was much the same as that of the Waterpik and Philips brushes, using the Colgate Connect app made this brush stand out a lot more.
When you're brushing while connected to the app, you'll be shown an image of a set of teeth on your phone screen, with each section lighting up when you're supposed to be brushing it. You'll be told to adjust your angles, brush more gently, or check your brushing spot frequently, making sure you're cleaning your teeth as thoroughly as possible.
This felt kind of confronting at first, especially when my overall 'score' on the app came up pretty poor, and I was told I'd missed whole parts of my teeth. However, it'll quickly awaken your competitive side (if there is one), and reinforce your dedication to brushing properly.
Rating: 8/10
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