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Comment by wonger_ | Hacker News Reader

Electric toothbrush on the list? And possibly over $100?

What benefits have you experienced? Just curious, asking as a lifelong boring toothbrush user.

I was always a bit put off by electric tooth brushes since the idea of having another "noisy" device was something I DID NOT WANT.

But after seeing so many recommendations from friends, family, dentists and online over the years. I felt buying one was worth a go.

And I am never going back. The quality of the clean and the massaging of the gums brought me from brushing my teeth as a chore to having a desire to brush my teeth (which I had never understood before).

Electric toothbrushes clean a lot better than hand-cranked toothbrushes

And don’t mess with your gums as much as. Learnt my lessons after having the pain of my life due to receding gums, switch with sensitive toothpaste and it’s much better now but they never really fully heal. Take care of your gums people!

I've tried OralB's $120 toothbrush, and their cheapest $30 Pro 300. Functionally, they are almost exactly the same!

Same, I replaced mine with a Suri a few months ago because while brushing my teeth I can't help thinking about the amount of plastic waste Oral B and regular toothbrushes produce. I love the Suri - https://www.trysuri.com

I've been using my Suri toothbrush for about 2 1/2 years I think (I had one on preorder before it came out). It's nice, compact, brushes well (according to my recent dentist visit), great battery life (usually over a month of twice per day brushing), and great USB-C charging case (that's the best part IMO).

What I don't like:

- Automatically turns off after 4x 30 seconds - I usually need a little more time than that.

- Proprietary replacements heads - I'm worried that they'll go out of business and I won't be able to get replacement heads anymore. (I could buy them in bulk now, but what if the toothbrush itself breaks and I can't get a new one?)

Dentists pretty much universally recommend electronic toothbrushes, in my experience.

Interesting, the dentists I have asked (4) all said it doesn't matter (Spain and Germany, maybe it's relevant) at all and it's up to personal preference.

I’d recommend to switch dentists maybe. Philips Sonicare is such an improvement for teeth hygiene - how could I live without?

Also: floss and mouthwash. Like floss is really important…

I was traveling in the EU a year ago and was in need of a toothbrush. The one I picked up at an arbitrary pharmacy in Antony, FR has nothing special about it but has lasted (I mean the bristles are not wearing hard or splaying, getting soft, whatever the usual failure mode for a toothbrush is) in 12 months of use. And I'm usually pretty hard on my brushes.

Why can't we in the US just have nice cheap things. Why is everything an electronic life-hack with a fun take on how to be eco-concious, that involves buying something I don't already own?

For what it's worth, the toothbrush was also not the cheapest I could find (that would have been Lidl or somesuch), and was made in France, so maybe that makes a difference.

Also, dentists recommend X-rays A LOT, too.

The usual problem with toothbrush bristles is they become microscopically worn down, so they don't scrape off plaque as effectively. Even if you can't see the problem, it might not be working as well as a fresh head will.

You can find electron microscope scans of fresh toothbrushes and worn ones in this[0] Applied Science YouTube video.

[0]: https://youtu.be/cwN983PnJoA

Maybe in Europe they're not all selling Sonicare on commission like they do in the US.

More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette.

A very disingenuous comparison.

As your Dentist I would recommend Viceroys.

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