Dental Health Check with Dr. Linda Niessen
Dental health topics from Dr. Linda Niessen of Baylor College of Dentistry
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 Power Brushes

By Dr. Linda Niessen
Monday, March 14, 2005

STORY:  POWER BRUSHES

Are expensive power toothbrushes worth the extra money? Who should invest in one and who should stick with the manual kind? Dr. Linda Niessen has the answers in today's segment of Dental Health Check.

A power toothbrush can cost more than a 100 dollars. But for some patients, the higher cost could save money spent on dental visits.

If you have periodontal or gum disease, or orthodontic braces, or lots of dental work, or if you have difficulty using a manual toothbrush, a power toothbrush may be a good investment.

"It can clean between your teeth with these sonic vibrations," said Dr. Dale Greer. Sonicare's Intelliclean enters the market this month with the latest design. It incorporates Crest toothpaste into the brush itself. No problem leaving the cap off the toothpaste tube. The special toothpaste packet inserts into the toothbrush handle. Dr. Greer added, "So I really think people may brush longer with the Intelliclean because of this new toothpaste that's dispensed through the head of the toothbrush."

Most power brushes have timers so you brush up to two minutes, the recommended amount of time to thoroughly remove the plague from your teeth.

"You also don't want to use it like your manual toothbrush. You don't want to scrub and move around. We're getting away from that completely. And what you would do is hold it there and let the bristles seat between the teeth and just gently move," Dr. Greer added.

A Sonicare competitor, Oral B, makes a power toothbrush that twists or oscillates. One study showed that the twisting motion removes 17% more plaque than manual brushing.

So when a power toothbrush worth the extra money? When you won't floss and don't want to try. When you have a history of periodontal disease or gum disease, or when you have physical difficulty using a manual toothbrush. For Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A&M System, I'm Dr. Linda Niessen, Channel 8 News.

Dr. Linda Niessen, clinical professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences and  the Office of Communications and Development at Baylor College of Dentistry, hosts Dental Health Check, the only weekly dental feature shot on location in the nation.

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