Totally agree about holding the brush lightly—my orthodontist mentioned that too. Did you find it tricky at first to remember not to press down hard? I caught myself doing it constantly in the beginning, especially since braces made me paranoid about cleaning thoroughly. Eventually, I realized the electric brush does most of the work anyway, so easing up just felt natural after a while. Now my gums feel way better, and it's honestly a relief not worrying as much about damaging them...
I get what you're saying about electric brushes doing most of the work, but honestly, I still find myself pressing too hard sometimes. Maybe it's just anxiety about missing spots or something, but even after months, I haven't fully adjusted. Plus, electric brushes can feel a bit intense on sensitive gums—at least for me. I've actually switched back to manual occasionally just to feel more in control...probably just me being overly cautious though.
I totally get the anxiety you're describing about pressing too hard—been there myself. Even though electric brushes are supposed to do the heavy lifting, it's hard to shake that manual brushing habit of applying pressure. I've had my dentist gently remind me more than once that I'm not scrubbing grout tiles here... 😂
But seriously, I also find electric brushes a bit aggressive on sensitive gums sometimes. Have you tried one of those softer brush heads? I switched to a sensitive head recently, and it made a noticeable difference for me. Still, I occasionally revert back to manual brushing too, especially when I feel like taking my time and being extra thorough. Maybe it's just psychological, but there's something comforting about controlling the pressure and pace myself.
Either way, I think the important thing is finding what feels right for your mouth. No shame in mixing it up now and then!
Totally relate to that grout scrubbing analogy, haha... I've seen lots of patients struggle with the pressure thing. One trick I've suggested is holding the electric brush with just fingertips instead of a full grip—sounds weird, but it helps ease off the pressure naturally. Might be worth a shot?
"holding the electric brush with just fingertips instead of a full grip—sounds weird, but it helps ease off the pressure naturally."
That's actually a pretty clever tip... I've noticed myself pressing way too hard sometimes, especially when I'm distracted. Another thing that helped me was switching to a brush with built-in pressure sensors—it buzzes gently if you're pushing too hard. Worth considering if pressure's an ongoing issue.
