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These Electric Toothbrushes Deliver a More Thorough Cleaning

Your regular toothbrush might get the job done, but these electric toothbrushes go the extra mile

October 14, 2021

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Sometimes you feel like you could brush your teeth a thousand times a day but you still feel like they’re not 100 percent clean. If so, you might want to think about investing in an electric toothbrush. The best electric toothbrushes have been proven to remove more plaque from your teeth and prevent gum inflammation, while being more effective than manual brushing.

Electric Toothbrush Buying Guide

Unlike a manual toothbrush, which requires you to guide the bristles back and forth over your teeth and gums, the best electric toothbrushes do the work for you, with mini pulsations that gently break plaque and tartar. The newest electric toothbrushes also have bonus functions, like a gum massager (to keep gums healthy and prevent them from receding) and even timers that tell you how long you should be brushing for.

All of these electric toothbrushes are completely cordless, charging via a dock, USB, or using battery power. Most of them last for days without needed to be recharged too.

What Are the Best Electric Toothbrushes?

Below we’ve picked out some of the best electric toothbrushes that help with everything from whitening to getting rid of plaque buildup.

1. Oral-B iO Series 9 Electric Toothbrush

Oral-B has always been an oral care favorite, so an electric toothbrush from the brand does not disappoint. One of our favorite electric toothbrushes, the iO senses when you’re brushing too hard thanks to a pressure sensor. A light turns red if you’re applying too much, and green when you’re brushing with a good amount of pressure.

The toothbrush has an in-handle timer to make sure you’re cleaning as long as you need to, while 3D tracking helps you brush every section of your teeth.

It comes with a charging travel case, along with four Ultimate Clean replacement heads. And it’s compatible with all Oral-B iO refills, in case you want to switch it up.

Buy Oral-B iO Series 9 Electric Toothbrush $299.94

2. Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4100

This toothbrush made with sonic technology promises to remove up to 7x more plaque than a manual toothbrush. Since some might worry that using an electric brush can be too harsh on their teeth, this one has a pressure sensor that alerts you if you’re brushing too hard — and it also lets you know if your brush head needs a replacement. The Sonicare 4100 has a rechargeable battery that can last up to 14 days and a two-minute timer to make sure you hit the recommended brushing time.

Buy Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4100 $54.49

3. AquaSonic Black Series Ultra Whitening Toothbrush

The slick, lightweight AquaSonic brush has a lot going for it: four operation modes, smart vibration timers, eight brush heads, and a custom travel case. This company says its brush removes 10x more plaque than a manual toothbrush and 3x more plaque than other electric brushes. It has a “whitening mode” that dissolves any stains on the surface of your teeth and a “massage mode” for your gums (because gums need to be massaged and conditioned too for optimal oral health).

On top of it all, it’s waterproof so you can use it in the shower (if you’re into that sort of thing). And the sleek all-black brush looks great for your bathroom shelf-ies too.