How does one use an electric toothbrush?
Like, do you need to wiggle it on each tooth like you would a regular toothbrush? Or do you just “drag” it along each tooth and let its own vibrations take care of the plaque?
Advice from a dentist
Be super gentle and just drag across your teeth very slowly on each side and on the top. No need to go back and forth just make sure get close to your gums with only a soft brush head.
My wife is a dentist and she says the exact same thing.
There's basically two types.
One is where it vibrates, the other is where it oscillates.
The kind that vibrates, you essentially use like a regular toothbrush, just without scrubbing. You move it around slowly and let the vibrations do the work.
The other kind, you do need to move it around in a pattern so that the little cup formed my the bristles gets everywhere.
This video does a great job of explaining how to use both.
Generally, both types do the same job, equally well. But you do have to use the oscillating kind correctly so that it gets everywhere. The vibrating kind suffers from going too fast for them to get the job done well, which is fairly easy to do without a movement pattern to work as a built in timer of sorts.
Most people end up developing their own way of making sure to get everywhere with the vibrating kind, but if you're aware of the limitation ahead of time it's easy enough to plan it ahead.
No no no no. You're doing it all wrong!
Ok, so first you tie up your girlfriend in the position you want. Preferably a position which pulls the big toe upwards and restricts it's ability to move downward.
Then you cover the whole foot in baby oil.
And THEN you use the electric toothbrush, the grooming glove, and the soft bristle hair brush on her feet while ignoring her pleas for you to stop. (Unless of coarse she safewords. Because consent is sexy).
Why would you use it on your teeth??? Kind of seems like a waste of a perfectly good tickle tool to be honest.....
bonk
With oscillating (rotates back and forth) or sonic (vibrates fast), you use them the same way. You angle it towards the gum at 45degrees upwards for top teeth, downwards for bottom teeth. So, it is on the tooth but angles towards the gum as it's where the tooth and gum meet that needs the most attention.
Do it in a particular order. Best way is start on outside top right, work slowly around the outside to the top left and then return on the inside. Do the same on the bottom. Some brushes will have paused or beeps every 30 seconds to help you time this.
The brush should not be pressed firmly, but just gently applied to the teeth and the motion of the sweeping does the cleaning.
Ar the end, clean all the biting surfaces of the teeth too for an additional 30 seconds.
This is called the bass technique. Using a manual brush you do the same thing, but you have to make the little circles yourself, which is trickier to do effectively.
You can verify you are doing it well with disclosing tablets. They are tablets that stain plaque, usually red or pink or blue. After you brush, you chew or suck on one. Then you can see if you've missed anywhere. They are not designed to be used every time but every day for a few days or weeks until you are confident you get everything. They just show you what you missed.
Try with a manual one day and an electric the next.
The same way as a normal tooth brush, except you don't need to do the little circles, since that's what the electric part of the brush is doing for you. Or at least, the kinds where the head spins and doesn't just vibrate.
You do need to be sure to brush your gums a bit. So I kinda do a waving motion back and forth.
Even for the ones that vibrate, eg Philips Sonicare. It does the work for you, just move the brush back and forth.
Some/most electric toothbrushes have built-in timers to help you give each quarter of your mouth equal time, so you don't rush. Some will vibrate in a different/angrier way if you brush too hard.
Mine just stops if I press too hard.
You use it according to the instructions. Each brand is different.
The real trick is to stand on one foot and close your eyes while you brush your teeth.
This improves your balance thus reducing your risk of all cause mortality
What if you have to do that just to remember not to press hard?
Whatever it takes
Read the instructions.....
Hard to believe but mine didn’t come with any.
That is incorrect, for Philips Sonicare anyway.
Each brand is different.
With sonic you just kinda put it there and move it to the sides. No idea with mechanical.