Brushing your teeth correctly is an important step to maintaining good oral hygiene and preventing decay and gum disease. Simplyhealth’s Consumer Oral Health Survey in 2019 found that 84% of adults agree that the better they look after their teeth and gums, the better chance they have of avoiding costly and invasive dental treatment in the future.

In order to maintain healthy teeth, it’s essential to brush twice a day for at least two minutes each time. Dr Reena Wadia, periodontist and founder of gum clinic RW Perio, says: "Timing depends on if your teeth/gums are healthy. For those with established gum disease, you are likely to need more than two minutes."

With prices varying from around £30 to £300, it's difficult to know which is the best electric toothbrush to go for. We tested a range of sonic and oscillating models that each offered a brushing time of two minutes, to find the top ones on the market right now.

These are the best electric toothbrushes we recommend:

How do electric toothbrushes work?

Electric toothbrushes are battery-powered brushes that make oscillating or sonic vibrating movements to remove plaque build-up, debris and bacteria. The latest models tend to include useful features like timers, cleaning modes and pressure sensors to ensure you’re brushing effectively.

Are electric toothbrushes better than manual toothbrushes?

If you’re vigilant about looking after your teeth, both manual and electric toothbrushes can keep them healthy, however dentists recommend electric options. "They do the work for you and the bristles move in more directions than you could move the brush yourself," says Dr Wadia. "They are effective at removing plaque because they’re designed to gently massage teeth and gums correctly - with many now having a pressure sensor that warns you if you’re pressing too hard."

What’s the difference between sonic and oscillating?

Sonic refers to the side to side vibrating motion of the brush filaments, while oscillating refers to the rotating and pulsating movements of the brush head.

Oscillating toothbrushes have round heads that can reach the back of teeth and effectively dislodge plaque. They have a brushing action of 2,500 to 8,000 rotations per minute and have more directional changes than a sonic brush. Sonic brushes, however, have a diamond/oval-shaped head and can reach up to 24,000 to 40,000 vibrations per minute, which makes the motions faster than oscillating. They help to clean a bigger surface area, as any fluid in the mouth is forced between the teeth and gum line by the powerful vibrations. There is little evidence to show which is more effective, however both are considered more thorough than using a manual



Will an electric toothbrush damage my teeth?

While you might be worried that a powerful brush could damage teeth, brushing correctly will clean effectively without causing any harm. If you’re concerned about teeth sensitivity, look for toothbrushes that offer a gentle/sensitive setting, or softer brush heads.

What's the most effective way of cleaning? "Place the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against the spot where the gums and teeth meet, angle upwards for the upper teeth and downwards for the lower teeth," says Dr Wadia. "Clean between your teeth – flossing or use of interdental brushes is the way to get into these nooks and crannies that need to be kept clean just as much as the rest of your teeth. Always use a toothpaste containing fluoride. If you have specific issues such as sensitivity, find a toothpaste that helps tackle this. Always spit and don’t rinse out your mouth after using the toothpaste or it will wash away all the good stuff.

Key features to consider

Timer: The best electric toothbrushes will have a buzzing timer that will make sure you brush for the dentist-recommended full two minutes. Look for brushes that have a helpful “quad pacer” that will buzz every 30 seconds so that you spend that amount of time on each quarter of your mouth (upper left, upper right, lower left and lower right).

Cleaning modes: Some models have different cleaning modes, such as a standard setting and a deep-clean mode. There can be many more modes than just two, though. For example, our winner has six different options and claims to help care for your gums or for sensitive teeth. Others may have more speed settings for those times you need extra power from your toothbrush.

Pressure sensor: Good electric toothbrushes should include a pressure sensor that lets you know when you’re pushing too hard on your teeth. This could potentially damage them, so a brush that lights up when you’re brushing should help you to be less vigorous.

Electric toothbrush apps: Some brushes released over the last few years are “smart” and have an app that connects to your phone. These are designed to help you with your brushing routine and provide you with tips on how to brush your teeth better, such as telling you if the pressure was too hard, if you missed a spot or if you didn't scrub well enough.

How we test electric toothbrushes

We invited 168 testers into our beauty lab and gave each person a disclosing tablet, to determine how much plaque was on their teeth before and after testing their allocated toothbrush. Using the VISIA complexion analyser, we were able to visually see the difference before and after using the toothbrush. Each tester also trialled the toothbrush at home, assessing properties such as its battery life, how it easy it was to use, its design, and its performance.