Background and Identification
The electric toothbrush is a toothbrush that cleans your teeth with an automatic motion, either rotation oscillation or back-and-forth oscillation. They are usually powered by a rechargeable battery. And depending on the brush, have motion at sonic speed, which are powered by a motor or ultrasonic speed which are powered by a piezoelectric crystal.
The first electric toothbrush was developed in 1927 by the Electro Massage Tooth Brush Company, an American company. In 1955, the Broxodent electric toothbrush was invented in Switzerland by Dr. Philippe Guy Woog. It was used by plugging it into a wall outlet. Originally the electric toothbrush was developed for people with limited mobility and for those with braces. The Broxodent was marketed in the U.S. as the Broxo-Dent or Broxodent by E. R. Squibb and Sons Pharmaceuticals in 1960. General Electric also introduced an electric toothbrush in the 1960’s. The early 90’s brought the ultrasonic toothbrush.
According to the American Dental Association, electric toothbrushes allow the user to clean areas that are harder to reach and make it easier to brush for longer, though they note that a manual brush can clean and remove plaque as well as an electric toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes have some key features: a timer, display, pressure sensor, ultrasound indicator, bluetooth and cleaning modes. In 2020, you can buy an electric toothbrush ranging anywhere from $20-$200.
