Brushing your teeth every day for 2 minutes a day is an essential part of maintaining good oral health for your child.

While the American Dental Association (ADA) recommends both manual and electric toothbrushes to remove plaque and prevent dental diseases, you might wonder whether electric toothbrushes get the job done better than manual ones.

Discover the pros and cons of manual vs. electric toothbrushes for kids including cost, effectiveness, and eco-friendliness so you can make the right choice for your child’s dental needs.

Benefits of Using a Manual Toothbrush

With easy access and affordability, you likely have at least a few manual toothbrushes around your home. While manual toothbrushes are not as technologically advanced as electric toothbrushes, they can still help keep your child’s teeth cavity-free and spare them visits to the dentist for emergency issues.

Cons of Using a Manual Toothbrush

While manual toothbrushes are cost-effective and convenient, they do have a few disadvantages:

Benefits of Using an Electric Toothbrush

Using an electric toothbrush is an excellent investment in your long-term oral health and wellness. Electric toothbrushes provide many benefits that can help you and your family’s smiles stay healthy:

After trying out an electric toothbrush, it’s easy to see (and feel) the difference that it can provide in effectiveness and convenience over manual toothbrushes.

One study found that electric toothbrushes resulted in 22% less gum recession and 18% less tooth decay over 11 years.

Cons of Using an Electric Toothbrush

Electric toothbrushes can be easy to use, effective, and help you brush for the recommended 2 minutes each time you brush. But electric toothbrushes do come with a few disadvantages:

Rising Popularity of Electric Toothbrush Memberships

More people than ever before are turning to electric toothbrushes thanks to product memberships that make receiving them easy and convenient.

With the help of Quip, Bruush, and other electric toothbrush memberships, you’ll never run out of replacement brush heads or wonder where to buy them.

Choosing the Right Toothbrush for Your Child

With so many options to choose from, finding the right toothbrush for your child can be hard.

No matter what style of toothbrush you invest in, be sure that the bristles aren’t too hard and it’s small enough for your child to hold comfortably.

Electric toothbrushes are just as safe for young children as manual ones. With an electric toothbrush, you can rest assured your child’s teeth are being cleaned effectively without damaging their enamel or gums by brushing too hard.

Still, it’s important to monitor young children while they brush their teeth, floss, and use fluoride to ensure they’re doing these things safely and effectively.

At the end of the day, the best toothbrush is the one that your child will use twice a day, for 2 minutes each time they brush.

Tips to Help Your Child Brush Their Teeth Properly

Regardless of whether your child uses a manual or electric toothbrush, here are a few tips to ensure they maintain good oral health for a lifetime:

The Best Apps to Help Your Child Brush Properly

There’s no doubt about it: kids love being entertained. Sometimes, this hunger for excitement can make their more mundane tasks extra challenging — like brushing and flossing.

Luckily, these tasks can be fun with a little creativity and support.