Most People Don’t Need This Fancy Toothbrush Feature. But I Do.

Published September 30, 2022

Phillip Zminda

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It had been two and a half years since I’d seen a dentist (I blame the pandemic), and I was most concerned about catching COVID-19 at my appointment or being told I had cavities. Neither of those turned out to be an issue, but when the dental hygienist handed me a mirror and said, "Look at your gums," I knew I had a problem. My gums were receding in certain spots to the point where I could see an uncomfortably large portion of my canine teeth. I look at my teeth every day when I brush, and I didn't notice until she pointed it out. Suddenly, it was all I could see.

I don't have gum disease or any of the habits most likely to cause gum degeneration—I brush regularly, floss often (enough), and use a toothbrush with soft bristles. All signs pointed to me brushing my teeth too aggressively. Admittedly, I probably should’ve realized sooner; the brush heads on my electric toothbrush often looked mangled after little more than a month of use. (They’re supposed to last three.) My dentist's recommendation: Minimize further damage by brushing with less intensity, effective immediately.

I’m typically the person who puts off doing anything about a health problem until it's so bad I can't ignore it. But harrowingly, receded gums can't regenerate: They can only be replaced through surgery. And recessed gums can lead to a host of problems if not managed, including increased teeth sensitivity, bleeding gums while brushing or flossing, and even loose teeth and adult tooth loss. I did not go through what felt like never-ending years of orthodontia as a child to lose teeth any earlier than necessary, so I committed myself to do whatever I needed to in order to keep my gums intact.

I was so nervous about doing it properly that I approached the task as though I were polishing crystals.

Countless electric toothbrushes offer a pressure sensor or similar feature that notifies you (through a beep, a change in vibration, or even a flash of light) if you’re brushing your teeth too hard. Our guide to electric toothbrushes calls a pressure sensor "nice to have," but for me, it's essential. Without one, I had trouble brushing without overdoing it. Buying a brush that has a pressure sensor seemed like a worthwhile investment in my own health.

The Philips Sonicare 4100 has a two-minute timer with quadrant pacing and a pressure sensor that buzzes when you’re brushing too hard.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $50.

I immediately ditched the pressure-sensor-less electric toothbrush I’d been using and bought Wirecutter's runner-up pick, the Philips Sonicare 4100, which is compatible with all the brush heads I’d accrued over the years using another Philips Sonicare toothbrush. The first time I brushed with the 4100 model, I was so nervous about doing it properly that I approached the task as though I were polishing crystals. It felt completely unnatural to me to be so gentle; I was certain I wasn't applying enough pressure to actually clean my teeth. But when I went in to give what I thought was a normal amount of pressure, the brush's steady vibration turned into a vigorous pulse, the sensor signaling me to lay off. I returned to a gentle glide of the bristles across my teeth and, to my surprise, found that they felt just as clean as—if not cleaner than—when I was brushing them like I was trying to scrub congealed cheese off a frying pan.

I know I’m applying the right amount of pressure now because my brush head looked appropriately used when I replaced it at the three-month mark—not obliterated like it usually would at that point. I’m looking forward to earning a prize for the Best Gum Maintenance award at my six-month follow-up (which, yes, I already scheduled).

This article was edited by Annemarie Conte and Tracy Vence.

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