"At first, I worried I wasn't brushing thoroughly enough or something was off."
I totally relate to this. When I first switched to electric, I kept second-guessing myself because it felt like I wasn't "scrubbing" enough. But after a few weeks, my gums stopped bleeding completely, and my dentist said my brushing technique had improved dramatically. It's funny how we associate aggressive brushing with effectiveness...turns out gentle and consistent is the way to go. Glad I'm not alone in this!
"It's funny how we associate aggressive brushing with effectiveness...turns out gentle and consistent is the way to go."
This is spot-on. I had a similar experience—initially, I kept thinking the electric toothbrush wasn't doing enough because it felt too gentle compared to manual brushing. But after researching a bit, I found that aggressive brushing can actually cause gum recession and enamel wear over time. Electric brushes are designed precisely to avoid this by using controlled pressure and motion. It's definitely counterintuitive at first, but the science backs it up.
I've noticed the same thing with my kid—he used to brush so hard his gums would bleed sometimes, thinking it meant cleaner teeth. Switching to electric helped a ton, but now I'm wondering...is there a specific electric toothbrush brand or feature that's better at teaching kids proper brushing pressure? Would love something that gives feedback or alerts them when they're pressing too hard.
We went through something similar with our daughter, and honestly, the pressure sensors on some electric brushes didn't really help her much—she just ignored the lights. What actually worked better was getting a brush with a built-in timer...it slowed her down naturally, and she stopped pressing so hard.
"What actually worked better was getting a brush with a built-in timer...it slowed her down naturally, and she stopped pressing so hard."
Totally agree with this. Pressure sensors sound great in theory, but kids (and even adults) tend to tune out those flashing lights pretty quickly. Timers seem to naturally encourage better brushing habits without feeling like a nagging reminder. My son used to scrub like he was sanding wood—once we switched to a timed brush, he eased up noticeably. Glad you found something that works!
