You can achieve excellent oral hygiene with either a manual or an electric toothbrush, according to Tricia Quartey, DMD, a dentist in Brooklyn, N.Y., and a spokesperson for the American Dental Association. Your technique matters more. “It’s in the brusher, not the toothbrush,” she says.
But if you have dexterity limitations, an electric toothbrush may make it easier to brush well, Quartey says. (See our picks below.) For instance, with arthritis, gripping a toothbrush properly may be challenging. Electric ones tend to have wider, easier-to-hold handles, says Xi Chen, PhD, an associate professor of geriatric dentistry at the Ohio State University College of Dentistry.
If you prefer a manual brush, wrapping a washcloth around the handle and securing it with a rubber band can make it easier to hold, Chen says.
