7 Best Electric Toothbrushes According To A Dental Hygienist

You can brush your teeth with practically any toothbrush, but the quality and design of your brush—and even the bristles on it—significantly impact how clean you’re getting your teeth. The best electric toothbrushes will make a huge impact on your gum health, the brightness of your tooth enamel, and how fresh your breath is. Why? Because electric toothbrushes provide hundreds to thousands of extra brush strokes you’re not getting with a manual toothbrush. And who better to review them than someone who's an expert on clean mouths: a dental hygienist!

What Is The Best Toothbrush?

It can be overwhelming trying to choose one of the best electric toothbrushes, simply because of how many options there are. The truth is, there are a lot of great choices and reputable brands to consider. Some are better than others, while certain models are designed to fit unique preferences or oral health concerns of specific groups of people. Such as children, people with gum disease, individuals who are more prone to tartar buildup or stain, have braces, etc. Most electric toothbrushes have features to tackle your specific dental health needs.

7 Best Electric Toothbrushes 

If you’re completely overwhelmed in the supermarket isle when you’re looking at electric toothbrush choices, I’ve narrowed down some of my very top picks for the best electric toothbrushes on the market to make the process a little bit easier on you:

1. Burst Sonic Toothbrush

Best Sonic Electric Toothbrush

You can’t go wrong with a Burst sonic toothbrush. The competitive pricing and 33,000 sonic vibrations a minute make it an easy pick for one of the best electric toothbrushes on the market. Plus, it’s backed by thousands of hygienists! Burst is unique because it has multi-length charcoal bristles that are gentle on your gums to remove more plaque. Burst is clinically proven (which is important when you want a quality toothbrush) and comes with a lifetime warranty. The Burst is the best affordable electric toothbrush on the market at the moment.

Pros & Cons

Burst can last a month on just one charge, and they’ll ship you a new toothbrush head every 12 weeks. You can even lump in a few extra perks like whitening strips or toothpaste if you want to! There are 3 cleaning modes for added control over your brushing: Whitening, Sensitive, and Massage. If you have gum disease or sensitive gums, these features and brushing modes are a must!

2. Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige

Best Luxury Electric Toothbrush

If you want the hands-down absolute premier, best electric toothbrush on the market, it is beyond a doubt the Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige with SenseIQ. This smart electric toothbrush has a pressure sensor, brush head replacement indicators, monitoring movement, and adapting the brush in real-time to provide the best cleaning. It even comes with a leatherette travel case. With built-in timers, you can rely on your toothbrush to keep track of the brushing time. The battery life is impressive too at up to 21 days on a single charge.

Pros & Cons

This fancy-schmancy smart brush costs over $350, which means it probably will not fit into most people’s toothbrush budgets but it's a fantastic brushing experience. And on that note, it may be a little more difficult to locate the replacement brush heads at just any supermarket, but at least you’ll be able to find them online. Also a replacement brush head can cost you around $15 per brush head. This Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush is top of the line model and at the end of the day, the Burst electric toothbrush can do all of these things for 40 bucks. 

Check out more Philips Sonicare models here.

3. BURSTkids Sonic Toothbrush

Best Kids Toothbrush 

Designed with a smaller brush head than traditional BURST toothbrushes, BURSTkids was made for little mouths. There’s even a 30-second “pacer” and 2-minute timer to help your child learn how to brush for the designated time. Parents can feel confident that their child is getting a great clean because of the BURST brand and how easy it is to use the kid-sized version for the younger members of their household. And like other BURST brushes, the replacement heads are shipped to you in the mail on a quarterly basis.

Pros & Cons

BURSTkids is easy to hold and comes in 5 colorful shades. One charge will last up to 4 weeks, so it’s great for busy families who might forget to plug it in as often as other designs. The standard and sensitive modes are perfect for kids who have sensory needs or more tender gum tissues. NOTE: the charging cord has a USB end, and it doesn’t come with a wall adaptor.

4. Quip 

Best Hybrid Toothbrush 

What’s a hybrid toothbrush?! One that still needs you to use proper manual brushing techniques while using it since it does not "do the work for you" like regular electric toothbrushes. However, it does give you extra oomph, as compared to a manual toothbrush! Quip brushes offer 3 months’ of battery life, making them super easy to use or travel with. You can have Quip shipped to your door (subscription plans include a new $5 brush head every 3 months) or buy them at the store. Once the AAA batteries run out, all you have to do is replace them. 

Pros & Cons

Quip electric toothbrushes start as low as $25, which is great for a quality hybrid toothbrush. The low price point makes them a great option if you want to invest in something for your kids or teens that’s gentler and easier to hold. If you don’t have space to put a large electric brush charger on your bathroom counter—or even any outlet plugs in a convenient spot—Quip brushes can easily be set inside your toothbrush holder next to any manual ones. But two downsides are (1) batteries eventually run out so you'll always need AAAs on hand and (2) you still have to use proper brushing techniques since it is not a full-electric brush.

5. Oral-B Pro 1000

Best Oscillating Toothbrush

Oral-B makes excellent products and you really can’t go wrong with any of their rotating, rechargeable electric brush designs. The oral b electric toothbrush has the icon circular brush head and the Oral B Pro 1000 has bristles angled in 16 different directions, and it pulses as well as rotates. If you’re pressing too hard on your tooth, the pressure sensor stops the pulsations altogether! Because remember, you shouldn’t brush hard—period—whether it’s an electric toothbrush or not. Plus, Oral-B is proud that their brush is shown to remove up to 300% more plaque along the edges of your gums (where gingivitis and periodontitis start) than a traditional manual toothbrush.

Pros & Cons

The Oral-B Pro is only about 50 bucks. Plus, you can easily pick up replacement oscillating brush heads at any supermarket if you prefer that option over having them shipped to you. The single mode makes it simple and direct to use, and the built-in timer keeps you on track.

6. GOBY Electric Toothbrush

Best Design Electric Toothbrush

GOBY is an oscillating toothbrush design that’s affordable and includes a subscription for replacement brush heads to keep you on track with a good oral hygiene routine. It comes with a 60-day trial and is made so that it can easily be held with your right or left hand. The slimmer handle may also be easier for children to hold if you prefer the same brush model for everyone in your household (for consistency’s sake!)

Pros & Cons

GOBY uses soft premium bristles with polished ends to ensure a gentle but thorough clean that’s safe for your smile. If you have sensitive teeth, there are sensitive and standard brush modes available, plus the button lights up when it’s your signal to change the brush head. Battery life of 14 days, that's only two monthly charges, and the slim design is great for all hand sizes. There aren’t too many downsides, unless you consider you can’t buy brush heads at the grocery store. Goby doesn't offer smart toothbrush features like pressure sensors for if you if you aplily too much pressure.

7. cariPRO™ Electric Toothbrush

Best Value Electric Toothbrush

CariPro comes in five different colors and delivers 40,000 sonic strokes a minute. It boasts five brushing modes, including clean, white, massage, gum care, and sensitive. Each one works differently, providing more options for sensitive areas or specific parts of your mouth, giving you better control over the brushing process. Plus, the cariPRO™ Electric Toothbrush can hold a charge for 30 days, making it perfect for people who love to travel, and it has a built-in two-minute timer to ensure you’re brushing every quadrant of your mouth for 30 seconds.

Pros & Cons

The five separate brush modes are great for someone who wants more flexibility when it comes to their brushing options, but it can be a turn-off for someone who just wants to brush and be done. You can choose from three different packages, and replacement brush heads.

Manual vs. Electric Toothbrushes 

You can effectively clean your teeth with a manual toothbrush, as long as you’re brushing properly with the correct technique and for a long enough amount of time. But most people—unfortunately—just don’t do that. Using an electric toothbrush is typically more effective at removing plaque and reversing gingivitis because of the extra brush strokes that you’re getting. All you have to do is position the toothbrush and allow it to do the work for you.

Personally, I always tell my patients that it’s better to use an electric toothbrush than a manual toothbrush. With one disclaimer: it has to be one of the best electric toothbrushes and made with a quality design. If it’s super cheap, there’s a good chance it’s going to do more harm than good (cheap or ultra-stiff toothbrush bristles can cause gum recession and even wear away your tooth enamel.) Traditional manual toothbrushes are good but electric toothbrushes do the work for you!

Sonic vs. Oscillating: Which Brush Head is Better?

A lot of people really like sonic toothbrushes because of the oxidation process you’re getting through the thousands of vibrations/bristle motions when you’re using them. If it’s gentle, it helps stimulate healthy gum tissues, improves blood circulation, and disrupts plaque wherever it reaches. 

If you like one over the other, don’t beat yourself. Implementing an electric toothbrush will greatly improve your brushing habits and gum health. Either one will be a great investment in your oral health when used as directed.

How To Properly Use Electric Toothbrushes

• Use your electric toothbrush for two minutes at a time. Just because it’s electric doesn’t mean you get to spend less time brushing.
• Brush twice a day.
• Clean all visible tooth surfaces, including the inside, outside, and chewing surfaces.
• Position the bristles at a 45-degree angle toward the gum line to ensure your gum tissues are being stimulated, removing the thick layer of plaque that tends to form in these areas.
• Be sure to hold the brush in place and pause at each tooth, allowing the electric toothbrush to do the work for you. There’s no need to scrub.

Talk With Your Dentist

Sometimes it’s not about which brand or type of electric toothbrush you’re using, but the size and shape of the brush head (like if you have a small mouth or are in traditional braces.) Talk to your dentist and hygienist to get their opinion. They often hear a lot of really great or really bad feedback about specific brushes, which can save you the headache if you’re stuck between one or two different models.

Pro Tip: Don't forget how much replacement electric toothbrush heads can cost. Some new brush heads can cost up to $15 per brush head. And remember, they must be soft bristles!

Find The Best Electric Toothbrush

You really can’t go wrong with one of these top 7 best electric toothbrushes on the market. Whether it’s sonic, oscillating, has interchangeable heads, or even comes with a smartphone app that will track your brushing patterns, the biggest factor is that you’re using it twice a day for two minutes and positioning it properly against your teeth and gums. Once you make the switch from a manual brush to an electric one, your dental team will definitely notice the difference.