Electric toothbrush or manual?

I use an electric tooth brush, an Oral-B iO 6. It cleans my teeth and massages my gums more effectively than I could manage with a manual toothbrush. There is a pressure warning sensor that alerts you if you press too hard and it has different brush heads for different needs including one for sensitive teeth and gums. I use a standard brush. I got mine online but I told my dentist about it and she seemed to approve although she didn’t explicitly recommend the brand because they sell another brand. I have used Oral-B electric toothbrushes probably since they first were produced decades ago and my teeth and gums are healthy. I haven’t needed my teeth scaled and polished for years. Over brushing harshly with a manual toothbrush can cause gum recession just as it can with an electric brush. Dentists now recommend that people brush only twice per day for two minutes in order to avoid undue wear. My toothbrush can be connected to an app which guides people through the correct brushing technique but I don’t use that as it’s just a nuisance. I got this type of brush only because it helps keep my teeth and gums healthy and it has saved me from having to pay for expensive private dental work.

I can't remember what it felt like the first time I used an electric brush because it was so long go. When I upgraded to my current model, it did feel very strange because it was quieter and the feel was different, but now I don't think about it and it feels fine.

You're welcome!

It's worth mentioning that the idea is to rely on the sonic vibrations (many thousands per minute) do the cleaning, rather than applying pressure as you might do with a manual toothbrush.

They explain:

"Hold your brush at a 45° angle to the gum line, and gently move it in small circles. No need to scrub - let the sonic vibrations do the work for you."

"Sonic technology uses gentle vibrations to sweep your brush head from side-to-side thousands of times every minute. The motion not only helps lift away plaque, but also creates tiny bubbles around your teeth and gums that clean beyond where the bristles can reach. It gives you a deeper clean than using a manual brush, with less effort and pressure on your gums."

Manual, I can't be doing with electric ones, horrible things that tickle and vibrate

It was suggested it's part of the propiaception issues ie the force management bit, that goes along with any movement or clumsiness issues

Thank you BeaE. I think we’ve avoided them so far because we’ve been concerned about the sensation and sound etc. I feel my son and I are trapped between our fear of dentistry and our hatred of toothpaste and dislike of tooth brushing! ‘Stuck between a rock and a hard place’ as they say! 
Thanks for sharing your experience- that’s helpful to know. 

My son gets through toothbrushes so quickly because he maybe is pressing too hard or biting on them (whatever technique it is he destroys his toothbrushes super quick). Both of us absolutely hate brushing our teeth. I’ve spent so much money recently trying to find a toothpaste we don’t hate and we have hated them all! 

Wow - that’s very good that they offer a money back guarantee if you don’t like it. I’ll check that out - thank you :)

Thank you for your reply Stuart. They’re not cheap and I’m wondering if this will happen to me too, and it will just be an expensive mistake. 

Many years ago my parents swapped and bought me one as a birthday present I think. I tried it a couple of times, then it sat in my bathroom for 10 years till I recycled it.

I can't deny they work, they get your teeth clean and it requires less effort, but it is a different process and feels different. I found I salivated more and found It hard to keep my mouth closed so made more mess. Perhaps that was my lack of technique or I needed to persevere longer. I didn't like it much or the sensation. Maybe I am just set in my ways.

So have used an old fashioned toothbrush since.

I'm not sure they are any more likely to harm your gums than with a normal brush. If anything I think I found you needed to press less hard and just let them do their thing.

Just over four years ago, I switched from a soft-bristle, manual toothbrush to a SURI sonic toothbrush, which has medium-soft bristles.

It runs for two minutes and pauses briefly after 30 second intervals, to help me clean each quadrant properly. The newer model (version 2.0) also now has a pressure sensor, to help avoid pressing too hard. The (plant-based) heads are available on subscription, and can be recycled free of charge.

There's also an optional clean-and-charge case, with UV light cleaning, that's intended for travel use.

I'm very happy with mine - and my dentist is pleased that I'm using it, too. I've learned not to press too hard when using it - which I was definitely doing before with my manual brush, and which seemed to be causing gum recession.

If you're interested in trying it, they offer a 100-day money-back guarantee - return shipping (via a pre-paid label that's deducted from the refund) would be the only cost if you change your mind and return it:

https://www.trysuri.com/

I use manual toothbrush, although I press too hard so within a wekk the bristles start to flatten. I doubt i could get on with electric, and I've never been able to brush lighter.

Personally I have got on very well with my electric toothbrush over the past 10ish years. Like you I'm quite anxious about dentistry, and brush my teeth for far longer than the recommended time, but have had no issues with my gums, although I'm sure this does vary person to person.

There are some electric toothbrushes that have a light which comes on when you apply too much pressure, which might be reassuring.

My sister cannot use an electric toothbrush because it's too much sensory-wise, which might be something to also bear in mind.