How we test electric toothbrushes: In-depth methodology
To test electric toothbrushes, we use them twice a day over a period of at least one week, making sure we get a feel for how they handle and perform when cleaning.
The most important attribute of a toothbrush is its cleaning power. To test this, we use plaque-disclosing tablets to check that all areas of the teeth are getting a proper clean. This allows us to see if the brush is able to thoroughly clean the teeth in all their nooks and crannies. If any problem areas are flagged, we repeat the test to ensure this wasn’t user error.
Battery life is also a key component of electric toothbrushes, especially if you travel regularly. To check battery life, we leave the toothbrush running and time how long it takes for the battery to run down from a full charge. We then divide this figure by four minutes to get an accurate idea of how many days a single charge should last.
We also test all specific brush modes, attachments, and install any apps required to get the most out of built-in smart features. This allows us to evaluate how comfortable the brush is to use as well as how intuitive and useful the smart features are – does the app actually give detailed, personalized brushing advice, or is it just a souped-up timer?
This data is then aggregated into a spreadsheet that allows us to easily compare the performance of each brush with its competition, while taking into account the all-important price.
Generally speaking, electric toothbrushes are available in two basic types: Rotary and Sonic
- Rotary brushes, as manufactured by Oral-B, have a small, round head that oscillates at high speed to scrub your teeth and gums. These toothbrushes combine this with a pulsating action, designed to break up plaque along the gum line, making it easier to brush away.
- Sonic brushes have heads that vibrate very quickly, at frequencies that buff the tooth surface, break up plaque, and force toothpaste through the gaps between your teeth and around the gum line. Ultrasonic toothbrushes vibrate even faster, helping to clean and protect them with even greater efficiency.
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What should I look for in an electric toothbrush?
These are the key features you’ll want to consider when purchasing an electric toothbrush.
Battery life
The battery life of an electric toothbrush is impacted by battery type and cleaning power. An old-school NiMH battery runs out faster than a modern lithium-ion battery, which can last up to four weeks and re-charges faster.
That being said, some powerful toothbrushes drain their batteries faster than others. That’s especially true for rotary brushes, according to our battery life tests.
So, if you haven’t got a convenient power socket in the bathroom, or you travel often, look at a model that can handle a few weeks without a refuel. You can find our battery life test results listed in the mini reviews above.
Brushing modes
Most electric toothbrushes come with a range of brushing modes. These give you different speeds and patterns optimized for whitening, deep cleaning, or sensitive teeth and gums.
It’s not clear that all of these make a huge amount of difference, but having a slower, gentler mode can be useful when you’re getting used to a new brush, before you’re comfortable switching to a faster mode.
Pressure sensors and timers
It’s worth looking out for pressure sensors that can warn you when you’re pressing too hard while brushing. This can prevent you from irritating your gums over time.
A brushing timer that sends a pulse through the brush when it’s time to stop brushing, or move to another quadrant of your mouth is always useful to ensure you’re brushing for the correct amount of time every day.
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What about the cost of replacement heads?
Dentists recommend changing brush heads every three months, which means you should get through four brush heads every year.
Replacement brush heads generally come in packs of two, four, or six. These are linked in the mini reviews’ key specs above, and typically cost around $30 for four, depending on the brand.
To complicate things, brush heads come in different types designed for different dental requirements, so you’ll find Sonicare heads for gum health, sensitive cleaning, or plaque removal, and Oral-B heads with slightly different brushing actions.
Any Sonicare head can be used with any Sonicare brush, but Oral-B’s standard heads can only be used with its Genius, Smart, and Pro brushes, while its iO heads only work with iO series brushes.
What extra features are available?
You might be able to get some extra features with your electric toothbrush, such as:
- A travel case, some of which allow the brush to charge in situ via a USB cable.
- Bluetooth-enabled “smart” features, which work with companion apps to time your brushes, keep a diary of your activity, and provide oral hygiene tips.
- Sophisticated motion sensors in more advanced brushes to allow them to track your brush’s progress around the mouth and make sure you’re reaching every corner. However, in our experience, these tracking sensors aren’t very accurate. On the top-of-the-range iO Series 10, we were so distracted trying to get the brush to register where we were brushing that we forgot to actually brush properly. Not great, or anywhere near as useful as brush manufacturers would lead you to believe.
These features aren’t essential – they come at a price and not everyone is prepared to take their smartphone to the bathroom to monitor their brushing. If you can develop a good routine that covers all your teeth and around the gums, then you probably don’t need a smart brush.
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