If you dread going to the dentist because your teeth are in bad shape, you may have been told you should use an electric toothbrush.
"Particularly we recommend electric toothbrushes when people have a history of periodontal disease or gum disease," says dentist Dr. Steven Abel.
Consumer Reports tested 10 electric toothbrushes, brushing almost 2,000 times to find the best. The brushes ranged in price from $20 to $180.
"One convenience of many electric toothbrushes is that they have built-in timers that signal after two minutes," says Amy Keating of Consumer Reports.
Some also alert you when 30 seconds are up -- that's when it's time to move to the next quadrant of your mouth.
Panelists used each toothbrush for an entire week, and at the end of the week they refrained from brushing for 24 hours to build up plaque.
Then a dentist used a red dye to determine how much plaque was left.
One of the top-rated toothbrushes is the $180 Philips Sonicare Flexcare, which removed more than 75 per cent of plaque. It has three cleaning modes -- clean, sensitive and massage. But some panelists found the Philips Sonicare uncomfortable.
"I kept looking at the time. Is the two minutes over, because it was hurting so bad. It was just too much vibration," says tester Antonietta Maggiacomo.
"I didn't really love it," says Adam Kaplan.
"It tickled my gums a little bit," says tester Alex Willen.
Most panelists preferred a less expensive Oral-B toothbrush. Consumer Reports says a good one to try is the Oral-B Professional Care for $100.
Most manufacturers suggest replacing the brush heads every three months, which can add to the cost.
Testers also found that if you use a regular toothbrush correctly it can be just as effective in cleaning, but they may not be as much fun.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen
