Manual Or Electric? Our Honest Opinion

Before we get into the details, a comparison between electric toothbrushes and manual is like comparing a big buffet from a 5-star hotel with a set meal from a moderately priced restaurant. While they both meet their end objective, the choice depends on individual preference. Hence, instead of debating which of these brushes is better, we provide you with the pros and cons for you to decide for yourself.

What about the studies that prove electric toothbrushes are better – well, often studies are sponsored, and biased, starting with an end goal of proving a point, conducted in an unrealistic environment, with people having different habits, different demographics, etc. For you to take an informed decision, you should not ignore these studies, however, you need to understand their relevance to your situation.

Benefits of electric toothbrush:

1. Effective at removing plaque. Some studies have shown that the results are inconsistent.
2. Easier for people with limited mobility. In some cases, Doctors may prefer their patients with mobility conditions to exercise regularly.
3. Fun for kids. Not for too long though
4. Easier for orthodontic appliances.

Disadvantages of electric toothbrush:

1. The price of electric toothbrushes is 50 to 500 times that of a manual toothbrush.
2. Not travel-friendly. Either a plug-in option or charged battery is necessary. If you are traveling with one, and don’t have access to electricity, it does not help. Also, replacement heads may not be available everywhere.
3. User experience. They are heavier and some users also don’t like the vibrating feel.
4. Managing end-of-life (e.g. recycling) of electric toothbrushes, and replacement heads are more complex than manual brushes.

If the above-mentioned benefits matter to you, and the disadvantages don’t bother you, you may consider an electric toothbrush. For everyone else, a good manual toothbrush is just what is needed.

Why that is a manual toothbrush?

Eha is built around the fundamentals of sustainability. For us, our solution must have a positive social, economic, and ecological impact with mainstream acceptance. Less than 10% of the global population can truly afford a good electric toothbrush, and it is less than 1% in developing and emerging countries like India. A good brushing habit, combined with a good manual toothbrush is more sustainable than many times expensive and has little incremental benefit than the electric toothbrushes offer. Hence, we chose the path to start our journey by producing manual toothbrushes and running community programs to create awareness around good brushing habits. We are currently working on connected smart manual brushes that guide the users with good habits of brushing based on users’ needs and brushing patterns, which will be launched shortly. In the future, we also hope to develop sustainable electric toothbrushes, that meet the needs of those who benefit from its features.