Everything that we use is becoming smart then why not our toothbrushes. A smart toothbrush uses oscillating-rotating technology to maintain your teeth and gums. This technology sets the smart toothbrushes apart from the manual toothbrushes. The movement of the smart toothbrush is programmed towards the provision of optimal cleansing of the tooth and gums. However, when not used properly, the benefits of a smart toothbrush diminish greatly.
How to use an electric toothbrush
Electric toothbrushes have started the tread in many children beginning to take an interest in brushing their teeth. This is a drastic change as in the past, most children were stubborn and often neglected to cooperate when it came to the matter of tooth hygiene.
The primary appeal of smart toothbrushes is their efficiency. Most of these electric toothbrushes can go anywhere between 5,000 – 30,000 strokes (and some even higher according to their power output) within the span of a minute. These are numbers that cannot be achieved during a single session of teeth brushing using a manual toothbrush. However, blindly placing the electric toothbrush atop your teeth will not yield the best results.
The classic 2-minute rule
We’ve all heard of the 2-minute rule when it comes to brushing our teeth. For both manual and electric toothbrushes, it is necessary that we brush for a minimum of 2 minutes but no longer than 3 minutes. This ensures that the toothpaste is able to kill all the germs and bacteria and whitening your teeth without causing any harm to your gums.
It would be beneficial to divide your mouth into 4 quadrants and spending 30s on each quadrant to complete your 2-minute cycle. The quadrants are simple split of top left, right and bottom left and right. Professional smart toothbrushes come with a 2-minute auto-shutdown feature that makes it easy to keep track of your brushing session.
Positioning your smart toothbrush
Similarly to the manual toothbrush, the smart toothbrush works best when angled at 45° against your teeth. The key difference between the manual toothbrush and the smart toothbrush whilst brushing is that you do not need to apply any pressure for the latter. You only need to guide the smart toothbrush with minimal pressure.
Step 1 – Before you begin brushing, it is important to check if your smart toothbrush has enough charge. If it doesn’t have sufficient charge, be sure to charge your smart toothbrush before you begin. Most of the electric toothbrushes have a battery level indicator for your convenience.
Step 2 – Once your electric toothbrush is sufficiently charged, wash it, and apply toothpaste.
Step 3 – Start by brushing the outside surfaces of the teeth. Guide the brush head gently across your teeth. Be sure to spend a few seconds on each tooth and keep the time spent on each tooth consistent so that your teeth are whitened with consistency. Follow the natural curve and shape of your mouth and guide your movement accordingly.
Step 4 – Now repeat step 3 but on the inside surfaces of your teeth.
Step 5 – Repeat step 3 but on the chewing surfaces of your teeth.
Step 6 – Direct the brush along your line to clean your gums. Do not scrub or apply pressure as it could cause gum injuries.
Step 7 – To freshen your breath, graze the brush along with the tongue and its roof.
Choosing the right electric brush
Your choice of electric brush will greatly change your entire brushing experience. A dentist near me recommended a certified product that has provided great results for his clients. It comes with 5 different modes that give you a variety of options to fit your needs. The selected mode is saved in the memory of this smart toothbrush so that your toothbrush is ready to go upon every startup. It also comes with a 2-minute auto-shutdown timer which makes it easier to track the timings for each brushing session.