At Boulevard Dental, our patients who use electric toothbrushes generally tend to have healthier gums, better oral hygiene, and less tooth stains. Studies also point to these benefits of electric toothbrushes. We’ve summarized three of these studies below for you.
A study by Jain in 2013 followed 60 dental students. Those who used electric toothbrushes showed significant improvement in overall plaque scores. Jain claims that electric toothbrushes allow a person to brush their teeth in a way that is optimal in terms of removing plaque and improving gingival health, and he says they aid in good brushing technique regardless of a person’s manual dexterity.
A 2025 article by Adam et al., in The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA), studied the effects of electric toothbrushes on plaque and gingivitis. All groups experienced significant improvement in gingivitis and plaque measures, but the electric toothbrush was significantly more effective than the manual toothbrush. In addition, only 20% of participants in the manual group transitioned from gingivitis to healthy gums compared to those who used electric toothbrushes. This electric toothbrush group experienced up to a 60% improvement.
A 2014 study from the Cochrane Oral Health group by Yaacob, et al., conducted a review of 56 studies that were published from 1964 to 2011. In these studies, 5,068 participants were randomly assigned to either an electric toothbrush or manual toothbrush group. A significant benefit was shown for electric toothbrush users vs. manual ones. For the electric toothbrush users, there was 21% reduction of plaque at 3 months. There was also a 11% reduction of gingivitis at 3 months.
We want to add that it is very important that you choose the right type of electric toothbrush. As the ADA MouthHealthy article “Toothbrush: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Your Toothbrush” advises, you should look for one with the ADA Seal of Acceptance. They also warn that a brush (electric or manual) with firm or medium-strength bristles can cause damage to the gums and enamel, so you want to use a soft-bristled brush.
If you want to decrease the risk of gum disease, tooth decay, and discolored teeth, consider an electric toothbrush for yourself! At Boulevard Dental, we recommend Sonicare electric toothbrushes. Please talk to us about purchasing one at our office, and how to use it properly!
References:
ADA MouthHealthy. Toothbrush: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Your Toothbrush. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/toothbrushes. Accessed October 6, 2026.
Adam, R., Grender, J., Timm, H., Goyal, C., & Qaqish, J. (2025, June 18). A 4-week randomized clinical trial evaluating plaque and gingivitis effects of a new oscillating-rotating electric toothbrush. The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA). https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(25)00241-7/fulltext. Accessed October 6, 2026.
Jain, Y. A (2013). Comparison of the efficacy of powered and manual toothbrushes in controlling plaque and gingivitis: A clinical study. The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3652371/. Accessed October 6, 2026.
Yaacob, M., Worthington, H.V., Deacon, S.A., Deery, C., Walmsley, A.D., Robinson, P.G., & Glenny, A-M. (2014, June 17). Powered/electric toothbrushes compared to manual toothbrushes for maintaining oral health. https://www.cochrane.org/evidence/CD002281_poweredelectrnic-toothbrushes-compared-manual-toothbrushes-maintaining-oral-health. Accessed October 5, 2026.