We did receive a number of comments to our first article on this subject bringing to light the risks of EMFs (electromagnetic frequencies) emitted from electric toothbrushes. What Is Fluoride Varnish? for more information.One person had a meter to read EMFs and stated that their electric toothbrush sent their EMF meter very high. So, if you consider yourself more sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, you may want to keep this in mind when navigating the toothbrush question. On a personal level, we have always been a bit cautious toward the sonic style brushes in particular for similar reasons. Call us the ‘canary in the coal mine’ if you must, but we’ve always felt that the vibration that these sonic style brushes emit to knock plaque off our teeth could cause more collateral damage than we realize. Is it possible that these sonic waves could compromise the bond of existing restorations (fillings, etc) in the mouth? Is it possible that the sonic waves could scramble other systems? Given that we are very aware of the bio-electric nature of our physical bodies (think acupuncture and the meridians of traditional Chinese medicine), having more electric waves inside the head has never felt like the right path for us. All in all, the benefit of an electric brush can be the risk of it as well, depending on the level of awareness one applies while using the tool. You see, while an electric brush does a faster job at removing plaque due to its mechanical movement, if we brush unconsciously, this increased movement can cause faster damage too. Let’s keep in mind that one of the main causes of gum recession is brushing the teeth too hard day after day. Gum tissue likes to be massaged. It likes to be stimulated and loved on. However, it doesn’t like it when the massage turns into a torture session (ever had one of those massages? :)). We consider brushing unconsciously day after day one of the main assaults to navigating the path to our optimal oral health. Manual brushes Manual toothbrushes range so much, it’s no wonder we as a culture are kind of numb when it comes to oral health. Is the handle supposed to be long? short? curved dental handpiece? made from recycled materials? What about the bristles? long? short? multileveled? Here are two things we stand by when it comes to choosing a toothbrush. First, the brush bristles should be rounded at the tip. Some toothbrushes look great but when you look under the microscope at the bristle tips, the torture potential shows itself.