Why Using An Electric Toothbrush is Important For Longevity

Photo by Quang Tri NGUYEN on Unsplash

Bad oral health increases your all-mortality risk

As a recent convert to using an electric toothbrush full-time, I was surprised to read recently in the New York Times, in bold, that "You don't need an electric toothbrush" in their article "What Dentists Wish You Knew".

I'm a recent convert to using an electric toothbrush full-time. I've flirted with them in the past but found them more inconvenient than using a simple everyday manual brush.

As a convert, I wished I had been using one for the last 20 years, as I now see more debris being loosened, and my gums feel much better. My experience with an electric toothbrush over the last 6 months made me wonder why the NYT would advocate against powered toothbrushes when it could have been neutral, and perhaps even in favour.

I wanted to know what independent research has concluded about the benefits or otherwise of electric toothbrushing and dental hygiene.

Here's what I found.

Strong evidence supports the use of powered toothbrushes for better oral health, i.e., slowing the progression of periodontal diseases such as gingivitis.

Better oral health delays progressive diseases of aging. In fact, older adults with tooth loss have a higher risk of cognitive impairment and dementia, with increasing risk with each missing tooth, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association.  Source: nia.nih.gov

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