- An electric toothbrush could help you brush better and more consistently than using a manual toothbrush.
- If you want clean teeth and healthy gums without breaking your budget, you can't go wrong with the highly effective Oral-B Pro 1000 electric toothbrush.
You've probably heard the saying, "You only need to brush and floss the teeth you want to keep." While the words are undeniably tongue-in-cheek, there's considerable truth to them. Proper oral care, which includes twice-daily brushing and once-daily flossing, is critical if you want to hang onto your choppers well into old age.
Do you really need an electric toothbrush?
Most dentists agree that a properly wielded manual toothbrush can do nearly as good a job as an electric toothbrush. The problem, however, comes with the "properly wielded" part. Most people fail to brush the full recommended two minutes, don't carefully work the brush around the entire set of teeth and the gum line, and don't brush gently and yet with speed. By contrast, a good electric toothbrush:
- Oscillates or strokes thousands — even tens of thousands — of times per minute, as compared to the typical 300 strokes per minute when brushing manually
- Removes more plaque than a manual toothbrush
- Has a signal or timer of some type to motivate longer brushing
- Is easier for people with arthritis or other hand weaknesses to use
- Is likelier to reduce gum disease than a manual toothbrush
We want you to keep your teeth healthy and strong for a lifetime. That's why we've done the research to bring you seven electric toothbrushes that we feel are the best choices for the most people. In addition to our own testing, we visited the top consumer websites, listened to actual product owners, and considered advice from dentists and dental hygienists when making our decisions. So go ahead and break out your favorite toothpaste. Healthy, clean white teeth are on their way.
Here are the best electric toothbrushes:
- Best electric toothbrush overall: Oral-B Pro 1000
- Best mid-priced electric toothbrush: Goby Electric Toothbrush
- Best electric toothbrush with replaceable battery: Quip Plastic Electric Toothbrush
- Best high-end electric toothbrush: Oral-B Pro 7500 Electric Toothbrush
- Best electric toothbrush for kids: Philips Sonicare for Kids
- Best electric toothbrush for gums: Philips Sonicare 2 Series Plaque Control
Updated on 10/23/2019 by Connie Chen: Updated prices and links.
SEE ALSO: The best teeth whitening kits you can buy
The best electric toothbrush overall
The Oral-B Pro 1000 is the best electric toothbrush because it's budget-friendly, highly effective, and compatible with a wide range of replacement brush heads.
The Oral-B Pro 1000 is a no-frills electric toothbrush, but it gets the job done, and it gets it done well. It comes with a CrossAction brush head that reaches into every nook and cranny between and within your teeth to scour away up to 300% more plaque than a manual toothbrush would remove.
If you prefer another type of brush head, however, there are plenty to choose from; the Oral-B Pro 1000 is compatible with nine different Oral-B heads, including whitening, sensitive, extra gum line cleaning, deep clean, orthodontic care, and floss action. Just twist and pull to switch out the brush head.
The toothbrush handle has an easily accessed on/off button, and the brush vibrates gently every 30 seconds to let you know it's time to move on to the next quadrant of your mouth. The sections include the inside of upper teeth, outside of upper teeth, inside of lower teeth, and outside of lower teeth. Press too hard, and the toothbrush will stop rotating — overly vigorous tooth brushing is a major cause of gum irritation. When you let up the pressure, the brush will automatically begin to spin once again.
The Wirecutter chose the Oral-B Pro 1000 as their top-pick electric toothbrush, and Health also selected this electric toothbrush as its number-one choice.
On Amazon, the Oral-B Pro 1000 is one of the best-selling electric toothbrushes, with nearly 5,500 reviews and an average of 4.4 stars. Buyers like the brush's simplicity, its effectiveness, and its reasonable price. Many also appreciate being able to swap out the brush head for one that better suits their needs.
Expect to recharge the Oral-B Pro 1000 about once per week. You'll see a flashing red light when the battery is getting low. The recharging base is very small, so there's no need to clear much counter space.
Pros: Great price, effective at removing plaque, many types of compatible brush heads
Cons: Not as fast or as powerful as some newer electric toothbrushes
The best mid-priced electric toothbrush
The Goby electric toothbrush works great, costs less than other premium models, and lets you subscribe to brush heads so you pay less over time.
Electric toothbrushes aren't all crazy expensive anymore, thanks to startups like Goby. We tried the Goby Electric Toothbrush and loved it.
I usually use a Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush, which costs more than $100, so I was blown away by the $60/$75 price tag of the Goby toothbrush. Equally surprising was just how good it was. I love the two different speed settings and how the moving bristles polish away stains on my teeth and any tartar or plaque that builds up.
The brush heads are a lot more affordable, too, at $6 compared to the $30+ price of Philips brush heads.
The electric toothbrush kit comes with the toothbrush, brush head, hygiene stand, USB charging shell, USB converter, and a hygienic brush cover as a one-time purchase for $75. Alternatively, you can choose to subscribe and pay only $60 for the brush.
If you subscribe, you'll get a new $6 brush head with free shipping delivered once every month or every 2 or 3 months. You'll save $15 on your electric toothbrush, and if you opt for 3-month deliveries, that comes out to $24 — making that not such a bad deal if you plan to replace your brush heads throughout the year (which you will more than likely want to do).
Read our full review for more info on Goby. — Malarie Gokey
Pros: Affordable, easy to use, great design, subscribe to brush heads
Cons: Not as many fancy settings as high-end ones
The best with a replaceable battery
The Quip is a sleek-looking toothbrush that's great for use at home or when traveling. It is affordable, yet it's very effective and more substantial than disposable options.
Quip is one of the many new companies looking to disrupt traditional industries — electric toothbrushes, in this case. You can argue that it doesn't do anything different than other similar products, but it's hard to find an electric toothbrush this good-looking.
The plastic version has a nicely contoured handle that's easy to hold and slim enough to fit inside a travel dopp kit. It takes a single AAA battery, so there's no need to carry around a charging station. There's only one mode, so it's a no-brainer to use. There are no rotating heads, but the sonic vibrations are more effective than brushing manually, and a 2-minute timer (four 30-second pulses, with a short pause in between) ensure you get the recommended brushing time (it's accepted by the American Dental Association).
I use a silver metal version of the Quip, which is similar to the plastic model in terms of usage. Admittedly, it doesn't feel that much different than the Oral-B manual toothbrush that I also use, but the vibrating bristles make brushing my teeth feel cleaner in less time. But, it's definitely nowhere as powerful as my old trusty Oral-B electric toothbrush (which I've stopped using because I can't find the charging base).
I like the auto-off function so I don't accidentally drain the battery, but I do use a rechargeable AAA since it lasts longer. Overall, it's a comfortable toothbrush to use, and I can safely use it in the shower. When the bristles wear out, just swap out the head.
In the Insider Picks review, our writer said, "Quip solved my two biggest problems with teeth brushing: making sure I was brushing long enough and replacing my toothbrush regularly. It keeps me honest, and I just let my mind wander for the four minutes a day I spend maintaining my oral hygiene."
Target customers gave the Quip a 4.9-star rating (out of 5), with 63% recommending the product. The 1-star customers felt the Quip was gimmicky when compared to a Sonicare. Yes, most budget electric toothbrushes will seem less solid and effective than a premium model, but you're also not spending $50-$100 for a complex tool. The whole concept around Quip is to get people to brush more (and to sign up for its $5 three-month refill plan).
On the Consumer Affairs website, Quip toothbrushes have an average rating of 4 stars, with a majority giving it 5 stars. One person who worked in a dental practice for 30 years found the bristles to be soft and the overall product easy to clean, not to mention space-saving. The few dissenters found the product gimmicky (or the marketing clever) or it isn't powerful like premium Oral-B or Sonicare toothbrushes; one person also didn't appreciate the customer service. However, there are substantially more fans.
The Quip isn't innovative by any means, but for people who don't brush regularly or replace their toothbrush often enough, the Quip is a nice (and stylish) solution to those problems, particularly if you subscribe to the refill plan. At $25 from Target, it's an affordable option that's better made than cheaper electric toothbrushes. It's also a terrific choice for travel — leave the pricier electric toothbrush at home. With that said, Quip can get costly if you opt for the metal or special editions and you add-on the extras.
Insider Picks reporter Connie Chen compared the Quip to other similar electric toothbrush startups. See how it compares.
Read our full review. — Les Shu
Pros: Low price, great for travel, sleek design, replaceable head and battery, comfortable to use
Cons: Not the most powerful, no adjustable settings, plastic version has limited color options
The best state-of-the-art electric toothbrush
The Oral-B Pro 7500 Electric Toothbrush makes superlative use of technology with onboard sensors, timers, and a powerful app.
If you're an unabashed technology fan who also happens to be deadly serious when it comes to oral health, you have just met your new toothbrush. The Oral-B Pro 7500 Electric Toothbrush makes use of all the latest developments in electric toothbrush design, including a carefully designed brush head that uses three distinct motions to dislodge food bits, break up plaque, and polish away stains.
While in use, the circular brush head oscillates, rotates, and pulsates, leaving your teeth fresh-from-the-dentist clean with every brushing. All this action also helps promote ideal gum health. But while the Oral-B Pro 7500 electric toothbrush packs plenty of power, what it won't do is concentrate too much of that power: The toothbrush has a built-in pressure sensor that stops its motion and illuminates a light ring set into the handle if you are pressing too hard, thereby protecting tooth enamel from undue damage.
The toothbrush is a fine choice for people with varied oral health needs, as it can operate in five modes, which are gum care, daily clean, deep clean, sensitive, and whitening. And if those unique features were not enough, the Oral-B Pro 7500 also uses a 30-second vibrating timer that helps you brush each area of your mouth for the proper dentist-recommended amount of time.
But in many ways, it's the features that aren't even actually built into the toothbrush that make it a standout. The Oral-B Pro 7500 electric toothbrush is Bluetooth enabled and can link to an app on your phone or tablet. Using said app, you can track your brushing habits and can set goals for yourself. When you have a clear sense of how you are managing your oral health over time, you have the best chance of enjoying a lifetime with minimal tooth or periodontal issues.
An owner named Jean said this was her third Oral-B electric toothbrush in 30 years and was the one she "liked the best" thanks to its "durability, price," and the many features. A buyer called Amanda said it "works just as well as the professional toothbrush the dentist uses."
A DentistryBlogger review noted the Oral-B Pro's long 40-minute operating life between charges, while the product testers from Ezvid were impressed with the features enabled when the toothbrush "pairs with your smartphone" and helps "keep track of" your brushing habits. — Steven John
Pros: Protective pressure sensor, triple action cleaning, connects to app for comprehensive monitoring
Cons: Expensive option
The best electric toothbrush for kids
Getting your children to brush properly twice per day can be a struggle, but with the fun Philips Sonicare for Kids, they might actually beg to brush their teeth.
Kids and good oral hygiene is typically not a natural combo. Most kids are either reluctant to brush or do a poor job at cleaning their teeth. The Philips Sonicare for Kids makes brushing fun, however, turning a routine task almost into a video game, thanks to the free Bluetooth-compatible app that encourages and rewards good brushing techniques.
Like all Sonicare toothbrushes, the kids' brush uses patented sonic technology for up to 75% more effective removal of plaque and debris than a manual toothbrush. It has a built-in two-minute timer and alerts the child to switch quadrants every 30 seconds while brushing. There are two speed settings, and the brush comes with eight stickers to customize the handle.
But where the fun really starts is with the free app that not only teaches kids about the whys and hows of good oral hygiene, it also turns brushing into a game. Your child will get to adopt a "Sparkly," a cute little creature that gives brushing tips while your child "brushes" the Sparkly's teeth. The app also tracks performance, making it easy to reward good hygiene. Just set your smartphone or tablet where your child can watch while brushing.
With nearly 1,000 reviews on Amazon and an average of 4.6 stars, there are definitely a lot of happy parents and kids out there brushing with the Philips Sonicare for Kids. Over and over, buyers comment that their kids went from brushing-resistant to actually wanting to brush their teeth. Many state that their child's dental appointments are much, much better since switching to the kid's Sonicare.
Says one pleased parent, "My 2.5-year-old began brushing happily and thoroughly every night just so he can see his "Sparkly" monster get a present. He is so excited and he used to dread brushing."
The Philips Sonicare for Kids is recommended for ages three and up if the child is using the brush on their own. Younger children should have assistance from mom or dad, however.
Pros: App makes brushing fun, brush head is sized for children's mouths, very effective at removing plaque and debris from teeth and gum line
Cons: None to speak of, although your child will eventually outgrow the cutesy app
The best electric toothbrush for gum care
If your gums aren't what they used to be, the Philips Sonicare 2 Series Plaque Control can help bring them back to good health.
According to dental health website AsktheDentist, sonic toothbrushes, which oscillate at astonishing rates — up to 31,000 strokes per minute at full speed — are more effective at reaching and removing plaque between the teeth and beneath the gum line than rotating electric toothbrushes, making a sonic toothbrush the best bet for anyone with gum issues, those who are lackadaisical about flossing, and the majority of people over age 40. Of course, in the oral hygiene field, sonic toothbrush generally means Sonicare, by far the biggest name in the industry.
And out of the many Sonicare models available, the best bet for gum trouble is the Philips Sonicare 2 Series Plaque Control toothbrush. Like all Sonicare brushes, the sonic cleaning action drives fluid between the teeth and under the gum line to break up and remove more plaque than regular toothbrushes, yet the brush is gentle enough to use on orthodontics, implants, veneers, and sensitive teeth. The slim, angled neck makes it easy to reach way back in your mouth, and the timer lets you know when two minutes are up. In fact, the brush automatically turns itself off.
The Philips Sonicare 2 Series Plaque Control even eases you into the sonic brush experience by slowly increasing the power over the brush's first 14 uses, giving you plenty of time to adjust to the ultra-oscillating speed.
The Wirecutter likes this toothbrush, saying it has everything you need in an electric toothbrush, and is quieter than competitor Oral-B. And it's a bestseller on Amazon, with nearly 5,000 reviews and an average of 4.3 stars. Buyers love the brush's powerful cleaning action and the reasonable price of this particular Sonicare model. However, a negative that is frequently mentioned is the high price of the replacement heads. Still, if you want a sonic toothbrush that's powerful on plaque, yet gentle on your gums, and you don't need a lot of bells and whistles, this is a great choice.
Pros: Excellent for gum care, reasonable price
Cons: Replacement heads are expensive
Check out our other oral care guides
The best whitening toothpaste you can buy for pearly whites
Adding a whitening toothpaste to your oral hygiene routine is a great way to keep your smile shining and your teeth clean and healthy. Colgate's Optic White Express White Toothpaste is our top choice because results show up in just three days.
- Best whitening toothpaste overall: Colgate Optic White Platinum Express White Toothpaste
- Best deep cleaning whitening toothpaste: Crest 3D White Brilliance Teeth Whitening Two-Step System
- Best activated charcoal whitening toothpaste: Dental Expert Active Whitening Charcoal Toothpaste
- Best budget whitening toothpaste: Arm & Hammer Advance White Extreme Whitening Toothpaste
- Best whitening toothpaste for sensitive teeth: Sensodyne Pronamel Gentle Whitening Flouride Toothpaste
The best teeth whitening kits you can buy
The best teeth whitening kits come with everything you need to whiten your teeth, are easy to use, and do not irritate your gums or teeth.
- Best teeth whitening strips: Crest 3D White Professional Effects Whitestrips
- Best high-end teeth whitening kit: GLO Science Brilliant Personal Teeth Whitening Device
- Best natural teeth whitening kit: Miswak Club Natural Teeth Whitening Kit
- Best charcoal teeth whitening kit: Active Wow Teeth Whitening Charcoal Powder
The best toothbrushes you can buy
There's plenty to be said for the classic manual toothbrush: It can't run out of batteries and it's compact, lightweight, and portable. The Oral-B Pro-Health All-in-One Soft Bristle Toothbrush is our top pick because its myriad bristle types and built-in tongue, cheek, and gum cleaners leave your whole mouth clean and fresh.
- Best manual toothbrush overall: Oral-B Pro-Health All-in-One Soft Bristle Toothbrush
- Best charcoal toothbrush: Primal Life Organic Charcoal Infused Bamboo Toothbrush
- Best disposable toothbrush: SmileMakers Pre-Pasted Disposable Toothbrushes
- Best low-cost manual toothbrush: Colgate Premier Extra Clean Toothbrushes
- Best toothbrush for toddlers: Fridababy SmileFrida Toddler Toothbrush
The best mouthwash you can buy
Used in tandem with brushing, flossing, and avoiding salt water taffy before bed, a good mouthwash can play a pivotal role in your oral health and hygiene regimen. Listerine Cool Mint Antiseptic Mouthwash is our top choice thanks to its ADA-accepted, clinically-proven ability to kill off germs that contribute to plaque buildup, bad breath, and gum disease.
- Best mouthwash overall: Listerine Cool Mint Antiseptic Mouthwash
- Best mouthwash for fresh breath: Crest Scope Outlast Mouthwash
- Best gentle mouthwash: CloSYS Gentle Mint Mouthwash
- Best natural mouthwash: Uncle Harry's Natural Products Miracle Mouthwash
- Best fluoride mouthwash: ACT Anticavity Flouride Rinse Mouthwash
The best toothpaste you can buy
Nobody likes going to the dentist, but if you take good care of your teeth between visits, the cleaning will go easier.
We've researched and tested many tubes of toothpaste to find the best ones you can buy. Whether you want an all-natural toothpaste, one with fluoride, one with whitening powers, or one that rebuilds your enamel to reduce sensitivity, we have a toothpaste for you.
- Best overall: Sensodyne Pronamel Gentle Whitening Toothpaste
- Best for kids: Hello Oral Care Fluoride Toothpaste
- Best for fresh breath: Colgate Total Advanced Fresh Toothpaste
- Best for sensitive teeth: Sensodyne True White Sensitive Teeth Toothpaste
- Best all-natural toothpaste: Nature's Gate Natural Toothpaste
- Best for stain removal: Colgate Optic White Platinum Stain-Less White Toothpaste
The best dental floss you can buy
Daily use of dental floss can help remove plaque from your teeth and prevent gum disease. Here are our picks:
- Best overall: Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Comfort Plus Dental Floss
- Best for sensitive gums: Dr. Tung's Smart Floss
- Best all natural floss: Tom's of Maine Anti Plaque Flat Spearmint Floss
- Best for kids: Plackers Kids Flossers
- Best for braces: Platypus Orthodontic Flosser