Power brushing brightens smiles

By JO-MARIE BROWN

Dental professionals say people who use ordinary toothbrushes instead of the more expensive, electric-rechargeable versions, may pay for it in the long-run.

Only 15 per cent of New Zealand adults are thought to use electric-rechargeable power toothbrushes, but a new survey of dentists and hygienists shows 74 per cent of them recommend their patients get one.

New Zealand Dental Hygienists Association president Robyn Watson said toothbrushes with an oscillating head did a much better job of removing plaque than their manual counterparts.

"Some people brush too hard, some people brush the wrong way, some people don't brush for long enough," she said.

"It actually helps to have an electric-rechargeable power toothbrush that you can just place on your teeth and slowly bring around your mouth. It does everything correctly and gets much better results."

Electric toothbrushes have been available in New Zealand since the 1970s but the oscillating versions only arrived in 1994.

Mrs Watson said their cost - between $40 and $150 - may be one reason why more people did not use them.

"People take a while to catch on to things when they're expensive, but possibly they don't fully realise the value to their dental health," she said. "Also, people are buying the cheaper, battery versions in supermarkets which don't work as well. "They then tend to throw them away thinking they're useless and don't give the pricier ones a go."

Mrs Watson said people often brushed too hard and damaged their gums when using manual toothbrushes and suffered from sensitive teeth as a result.

"Some people who are really diligent can use a manual toothbrush but most of the population don't really practice the correct technique."

Other tips included using dental floss, antiseptic mouthwash, brushing for at least two minutes and avoiding sugary snacks and drinks.