The Best Electric Toothbrushes of 2024

Brushing your teeth and flossing is an important part of your daily hygiene routine. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing twice a day, for two minutes each time, with soft bristles. But we live in a world with an overwhelming abundance of oral hygiene options. That’s why we set out to test the best electric toothbrushes we can find and bring our results to you.

Are electric toothbrushes better?

With so many different options available, shopping for the best toothbrush can be confusing. One of the biggest questions: Should you buy an electric toothbrush or a manual one?

The ADA says that how you brush your teeth and how often are more important than whether you choose an electric toothbrush or a manual one. Still, there are benefits to choosing an electric toothbrush—many come with pressure sensors so you don’t brush too hard, and include multiple brushing modes. They also say that people who find it difficult to use a manual toothbrush may want to consider an electric one.

For a more personal insight into whether electric toothbrushes are worth it, we spoke to Dr. Soo-Woo Kim. According to Dr. Kim, there’s one aspect that really makes electric toothbrushes stand out — a two-minute timer. Knowing how long to brush is the most effective feature, notes Dr. Kim, who routinely recommends electric toothbrushes.

What is the best electric toothbrush overall?

To find the best electric toothbrush, we spent two months brushing our teeth with nine of the top products available. We found that the Oral B Pro 3000 (available at Amazon) is the best electric toothbrush for most people, thanks to a few small but meaningful features that make brushing more effective.

For people looking for a smart toothbrush, one with multiple cleaning modes, or one the best for sensitive teeth and gums, our roundup includes a number of brushes at different price points. Those who are curious about electric toothbrushes but are hesitant to invest may want to try our Best Value pick, the Philips Sonicare One.

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Other electric toothbrushes we tested

How we tested electric toothbrushes

We conducted interviews with several powered toothbrush brands to get a sense of how different electric toothbrush designs work and then narrowed down the list of potential products to test to nine across the price spectrum. We included brushes beyond Oral-B and Philips, the two biggest players in the world of electric toothbrushes.

We used each electric toothbrush twice a day for three days, for a total of six sessions. The finalists were given an extra six sessions for further evaluation. If the brush had Bluetooth connectivity, we tested the app. At the end of each three-day run, we evaluated the electric toothbrushes on the following questions:

• Setup: How easy was it to start using the electric toothbrush and set up the charging port?
• Usability: How easy is it to brush your teeth and get to all the nooks and crannies in your mouth? How easy is it to swap out the different brush heads? How do the controls feel? How comfortable is it to hold?
• Storage: Does the electric toothbrush come with a safe way to store its brush heads? Is there a cover to protect the bristles when the toothbrush head isn’t in use?
• Subjective: How clean does your mouth feel after using this toothbrush? Are there any useful special features? How nice are the toothbrush's aesthetics, and how would that affect your willingness to buy it? Did it perform better than a manual toothbrush? If the toothbrush comes with a companion smartphone app, is it actually useful?
• Waterproofing: Can the toothbrush run in shower conditions? Can it be submerged in a bucket of water for 30 seconds?

Additionally, for the update on this guide, we used plaque disclosing tablets after the final brushing. These tablets have a dye that reveals any plaque buildup on teeth with a fantastic red or blue color. Then, using a cheek retractor, we took pictures of the dyed teeth and evaluated the amount of plaque left after brushing.

How to choose the right electric toothbrush for you

Oscillating toothbrushes vs. sonic brushes: Which type of electric toothbrush is better?

The moment you start shopping for an electric toothbrush, you’re faced with a choice: oscillating versus sonic brush heads. Oral-B (which makes mostly oscillating electric toothbrushes) and Philips Sonicare (which makes mostly sonic electric toothbrushes) each make grand, and sometimes misleading, statements about how each type works and their relative merits. Here’s the simplest way to explain it:

An oscillating brush head moves with a little rotation to the right, then a little rotation to the left—back and forth, really fast. It looks cool, if not a little intimidating to the first-time user.

A sonic toothbrush head doesn’t spin. Rather, it moves in a “wiggle” action, at a very high frequency. The result is typically much quieter and subtler than an oscillating brush head. Newcomers to an electric brush might find it more welcoming.

According to our research, choosing one technology over another will have a negligible impact on your teeth. In a 2011 review of 17 separate trials, no definitive conclusions could be made regarding the superiority of one technology over the other when it came to reducing plaque and gingivitis. There are no tremendous differences between most electric brushes.

Much of it comes down to your personal brand preference (and possibly your dentist's recommendation.) Most likely, you’ll settle on one of two brands: Oral-B and Philips Sonicare. Combined, Oral-B and Philips toothbrushes make up 70% of electric oral care sales online.

This negligible difference between electric toothbrush technologies was backed up by an expert. Harvard’s Dr. Soo-Woo Kim said that, in his experience, he did not see a significant difference in effectiveness between oscillating and sonic.

Important Features to Consider When Choosing an Electric Toothbrush

There are really only a couple of core factors, and we’ve gone over most of them. Still, there are some common electric toothbrush features that keep recurring, so we’ve broken down the ones that matter most and the ones you can probably skip. Here are some of the features you’re most likely to see:

• Two-minute timer: As stated before, this is the single most important feature
• Pressure sensor: Having assistance to make sure you aren’t over-brushing can also be very helpful. Any feature beyond these two is a bonus!
• Battery life: It isn’t a huge inconvenience to charge an electric toothbrush every now and then, but you still may want to pay attention to how long it’ll last on a charge.
• Cleaning modes: Some electric toothbrushes offer different intensities or patterns for different toothbrushing needs. While we’ve noted toothbrushes with multiple modes in our roundup, this is an extra, not an essential.

FAQ

How do I use an electric toothbrush?

It’s important to brush twice a day, and to thoroughly floss your teeth at least once daily. It helps to floss before brushing, so that you can then brush away any leftover debris.

When using an electric toothbrush, it’s important not to apply too much pressure. Just hold the toothbrush lightly over your teeth at a 45-degree angle and let the motion of the brush itself do most of the work for you. Pushing down hard can shorten the lifespan of your bristles, and it can also contribute to receding gums, just like brushing too hard with a manual toothbrush can.

It may help to divide your mouth up into four quadrants, in whatever way makes sense to you, and spend 30 seconds brushing each of them. If your electric toothbrush includes some kind of 30-second notifications, this can be especially helpful.

Don’t forget the rest of your dental hygiene, while you’re at it! When you brush your teeth, gently brush your tongue and soft palate to make sure your mouth gets fully clean. Consider following up with mouthwash, which can further kill bacteria and help prevent gingivitis and other hazards.

How do I clean an electric toothbrush?

Your electric toothbrush is there to remove bacteria and debris from your teeth, which means it’s holding on to a lot of gross things after every brushing. Every time you brush, remove the brush head from the electric toothbrush and rinse out thoroughly with water.

Every week or so, consider disinfecting your electric toothbrush. You can do this by soaking it in mouthwash for a couple of minutes. You can also place it in denture cleaner for a couple of minutes—just make sure that you’re using a fresh tablet of denture cleaner, not re-using solution that’s already cleaned dentures or a mouthguard. One final option to consider is a mixture of water and white vinegar.

Also, never share an electric toothbrush head with someone, even if you’re close! That’s a great way to swap germs with someone. And if you or someone in your household has been sick, it’s a good idea for folks to get a fresh start with their toothbrush heads.

How do I maintain an electric toothbrush?

Just as important as cleaning your toothbrush is keeping it up. Don’t use too much pressure when you brush. A good electric toothbrush should warn you if you’re pressing down too hard. Not only is this bad for your gums, it can also wear your bristles out faster.

It’s also important to store your electric toothbrush wisely. When you’re traveling, keep it covered to protect it from dirt and grime in your traveling kit. However, when you’re at home, it’s important to let it breathe. If you keep your electric toothbrush covered all the time, that damp, close environment can become a breeding ground for bacteria.

How often should I change my electric toothbrush’s head?

Regardless of brand or style, it’s recommended that you replace the brush head every three to four months. While this might seem like a straightforward process, it can get overwhelming in a hurry.

For example, Oral-B and Philips each have as many as 12 varieties of electric toothbrush heads. With names like Precision, Deep Sweep, and InterCare, they all certainly sound healthy. Then there’s compatibility to consider, both within brands and from third-party options.

Our advice: Find something you like and buy it in bulk to save a few bucks.

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