The Best Electric Toothbrushes for Your Pearly Whites

There is a seemingly endless array of electric toothbrushes to pick from, but they generally fall into two categories: sonic and oscillating (for U-shaped brushes, see below). The best toothbrush is the one you’ll use twice a day. You can buy the most highly rated toothbrush around, but if it feels weird in your mouth or hurts your gums, you might not want to use it.

Ada S. Cooper, a dentist and consumer adviser spokesperson for the American Dental Association, told me that both styles are effective in reducing plaque, according to recent studies. She notes that you should talk to a dentist about which one will work best for you, and she says to look for the ADA Seal of Acceptance Most of our picks have it. (If they don’t, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re bad.)

• A sonic toothbrush looks similar to a manual brush, with an oval brush head. It vibrates gently and quietly, using high-speed side-to-side bristle motion to break up plaque. Sonicare was the first brand to introduce a sonic toothbrush and is probably the most well-known name in the category.
• Oscillating toothbrushes rotate and pulsate—oscillate means to move or swing back and forth—around the whole tooth. They tend to be louder than sonic brushes and might make your head vibrate more while you brush. You will get used to this if you’re new to electric brushes. Oral-B is probably the best-known brand for these types of electric toothbrushes.

In addition to choosing between oscillating and sonic toothbrushes, these are a few other factors that you might want to think about.

• Future cost: You need to replace the brush head about every three months—more if you tend to brush with too much pressure. They range in price depending on the brand and type of head, so it’s a good idea to check beforehand. Oral-B offers various types of heads in packs ranging from $9 for one to $55 for 10. Many brands offer subscriptions for cheaper. You can often find off-brand heads that cost less but work with the handle, though you might not get the same quality.
• Charging: Electric toothbrushes have either rechargeable batteries or replaceable ones. Battery life depends on the brush, but it could need charging every week to every few months. Do you want to commit to keeping it charged or keeping a spare battery on hand or do you prefer the ease of a manual brush that works anywhere anytime?
• Brand history: If you buy from a brand like Sonicare or Oral-B, there’s a high likelihood that you’ll be able to buy replacement brush heads or get ahold of customer service should you need anything. You can also get these in store instead of having to order online. We recommend a few newer brands here, many of which only have online storefronts and there’s no way to predict if they’ll be around in five years or not. Some make great brushes, however, so it may be worth it if the initial cost isn’t too high.

Getting the best toothbrush money can buy won’t mean anything if you don’t brush correctly. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to do right:

• Floss: Once a day, you should floss your teeth before brushing. I prefer floss picks to a string, and switched to a refillable version from Quip, but it seems to be no longer available.
• Brush for 2 minutes: Brush twice a day, spending about a minute each on your top and bottom teeth—30 seconds for each quadrant, which is why most electric toothbrushes have 30-second timers to remind you to move on to the next one. Make sure you get the front and back of teeth, and focus on cleaning the gum line, where food can stick and plaque can build up.
• Be gentle: If your toothbrush bristles look like they’ve been crushed, you’re brushing too hard. You want to keep your teeth clean, but you don’t need to actually scrub to do that. Electric toothbrushes often help people be gentler, but you still need to be mindful of it.
• Don’t forget your tongue: Bacteria builds up on your tongue, which can cause bad breath despite clean teeth. You can brush it with your toothbrush or use the tongue cleaner that’s on the backside of some brush heads. I like to pair that with a tongue scraper for $10 to remove most of the buildup first.
• Don’t rinse: If you’re using fluoride toothpaste—which helps prevent tooth decay—you shouldn’t rinse your mouth or use mouthwash right away.