What is a sonic toothbrush and are there any dangers?

As people's living standards improve, many products that improve the quality of life have appeared one after another, and toothbrush is one of them. Nowadays, people pay much attention to the health of every part of their body, and the oral cavity is the first to be affected. As the saying goes, diseases come from the mouth, so people are no longer satisfied with the cleaning effect brought by ordinary toothbrushes, and thus the electric toothbrush was invented. However, what we are going to talk about today is not the electric toothbrush, but its evolved version - the sonic toothbrush. It sounds very high-tech, right? So what exactly is this sonic toothbrush and does it have any harmful effects?

How sonic toothbrushes work

What are sound waves? Sound waves are mechanical longitudinal waves that propagate in elastic media. Their frequencies are between 20 and 20,000 Hz and can be heard by the human ear. The working principle of the sonic toothbrush is: relying on the high-speed movement of the micro motor to drive the toothbrush head to swing up and down at high speed, generating mechanical vibrations, that is, generating sound waves. The suitable vibration frequency of a sonic toothbrush is between 166-666Hz (10,000-37,000 times/minute). Sonic toothbrushes of different frequencies achieve different degrees of teeth cleaning effects. The cleaning effect of a sonic toothbrush is proportional to the frequency and amplitude of the sound waves.

There are many benefits of sonic toothbrushes! Sonic toothbrushes are more effective in removing dental plaque than ordinary toothbrushes, and are better at cleaning tartar and pigments on the tooth surface and food debris in the gaps between teeth.

1. People with bad breath: Especially those with wide gaps between teeth. Food debris can easily get stuck in the gaps between teeth. If they are not cleaned in time, dental plaque can easily ferment and cause bad breath. The sonic toothbrush can penetrate deep into the gaps between teeth, leaving no dead corners in the mouth, and promptly remove food debris and soft plaque in the gaps between teeth, reducing the risk of flossing and bad breath.

2. People with bleeding gums: Gingivitis can easily cause bleeding gums. The first time you use a sonic toothbrush, there will be bleeding. By cleaning the gum wounds with a sonic toothbrush, the wounds will gradually heal. For patients with mild gingivitis, bleeding will stop after one to two days of use.

3. Patients with tooth decay and caries: Sonic toothbrushes can deeply clean food residues, bacteria, tartar, etc. in the tooth cavities, so that the tooth body and periodontal tissues can be locally cleaned and irritants can be removed. At the same time, the sonic toothbrush can massage the gums and promote blood circulation in the painful area, thereby relieving tooth pain.

4. Orthodontic appliance wearers: Whether it is a fixed appliance or a removable appliance, they have more accessories. Especially since fixed orthodontic appliances have many accessories, food can easily get stuck in them, and ordinary manual brushing is difficult to clean thoroughly. However, a sonic toothbrush can clean completely without leaving any dead corners.

5. People with dental implants in their mouths: For those with full-mouth dental implants, there is a certain gap between the implants and the gums. These gaps are most likely to hide harmful bacteria and food debris. In the past, patients were required to go to the dental clinic regularly for flushing. However, sonic toothbrushes can self-clean every day, effectively maintaining the long-term existence of dental implants.

6. People with dentures in their mouths: Especially fixed dentures, they cannot be removed and cleaned at will. As time goes by, the gap between the gums and the fixed bridge becomes larger and larger, and more and more embedded objects are found. Using a sonic toothbrush can help effectively clean them.

Oral experts suggest that there are many bacteria in the mouth. When the braces are bonded to the tooth surface, it is not conducive to the self-cleaning function of the tooth surface and hinders brushing. If the teeth are not cleaned properly, food residues will remain between the teeth, which will cause oral bacteria to multiply rapidly. In addition, during orthodontic treatment, the disease resistance of teeth and periodontal tissues will decrease. Poor oral hygiene will cause teeth to be more susceptible to caries, gingivitis, periodontitis, etc. than usual, resulting in symptoms such as caries, red and swollen gums, bleeding, and bad breath. If the inflammation affects the alveolar bone over time, the teeth may become loose, leading to serious consequences.

Sonic toothbrushes, especially special orthodontic brush heads, are designed specifically for patients undergoing orthodontic treatment. The groove design of the bristles can reasonably avoid the protrusions of the bracket part, reducing the friction with the bracket, which is conducive to the long-term fixation of the bracket. It can effectively clean metal wires, orthodontic appliances, dental plaque, food debris around teeth, etc., while massaging the gums and relieving tooth pressure. And the ends of the bristles have been specially treated to better protect teeth and gums during orthodontic treatment, allowing you to clean your teeth easily and thoroughly.

The sonic toothbrush is an oral cleaner: it has a unique tooth stain softening system and a targeted system for removing residual food and dental plaque. Teeth beautician: safe care, protect the integrity of the natural enamel of teeth, and make the gums soft, smooth and elastic. Gum Massager: Give your gums a professional and safe massage experience. Promote gum microcirculation, prevent gum atrophy, reduce gum bleeding and oral ulcers. The teeth are not sensitive to cold or hot stimuli. Oral greening expert: Sonic toothbrush completely removes bacteria from teeth, gums, periodontal tissues and tongue coating, leaving the oral cavity clean and comfortable with fresh breath.

It’s still a toothbrush, but after you use a high-quality sonic toothbrush, you will find that brushing your teeth can be such a wonderful experience. This is the care of the “Four Masters of Oral Care” mentioned earlier. This feeling can only be experienced and is difficult to describe in words. In China, few people have used high-end sonic toothbrushes, and those who have used them generally don't want to use traditional toothbrushes again. We have to admire the charm of technology in changing human living habits, just like the tremendous changes that mobile phones brought to human life back then.

Now comes the key point, let’s talk about the possible harm caused by sonic toothbrushes. First, please understand (otoconia)!

First, let’s understand what otoliths are!

The deepest part of the human ear is the inner ear, which is responsible not only for hearing but also for balance. Once there is a problem with the inner ear, a person will feel dizzy. There are saccular spots on the utricle and saccule of the inner ear, and the surface is covered with a layer of otolith membrane with many calcium carbonate crystals, which are called "otoliths". Certain conditions can cause the macula of the utricle to degenerate, leading to the loss of otoliths. After the otoliths fall off, they may fall into the semicircular canals in the inner ear and cause vertigo. The cause of otolithiasis is unknown. It is usually more common in the elderly, but some young people who are under great work pressure, often stay up late, and have irregular work and rest schedules may also suffer from the disease. Especially at the end of the year, when rushing to complete tasks, many white-collar workers are overly tired, and the incidence of otolithiasis will also increase. Otolithiasis, also known as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, refers to brief paroxysmal attacks of vertigo and nystagmus that occur when the head moves rapidly to a specific position. Under normal circumstances, otoliths are attached to the otolith membrane. When some pathogenic factors cause the otoliths to detach, these detached otoliths will swim in the fluid called endolymph in the inner ear. When the human head position changes, the semicircular canals also change position. The sunken otoliths will move with the flow of fluid, thereby stimulating the semicircular canal hair cells and causing the body to experience severe vertigo. The time is generally short, from a few seconds to a few minutes, and can periodically worsen or ease. The duration of the disease varies.

The causes can generally be divided into two categories, one is idiopathic, called otolith disease, and the other is secondary, which is secondary to Meniere's disease, sudden deafness, viral labyrinthitis, internal auditory artery ischemia, migraine, head trauma, middle ear and inner ear surgery, cochlear implant surgery, ototoxic drug damage, otosclerosis, chronic otitis media and cervical vertigo, etc. The above diseases lead to inflammation or ischemic damage of the semicircular canals and cause the otoliths to fall off.

Clinical manifestations are more common in middle-aged people, slightly more common in women, with sudden onset, and the occurrence of symptoms is often related to certain changes in head or body position. Vertigo symptoms occur when the head position is stimulated (affected ear downward). Nystagmus occurs within 3 to 10 seconds after the head position change, and vertigo often lasts within 60 seconds, which may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Vertigo may worsen or ease periodically, with no discomfort or dizziness during the intervals. Some patients may feel lightheaded and floating for a long time after an attack of vertigo.

Although otolithiasis is not a very troublesome disease, vertigo may occur repeatedly, and when it occurs, there will be a feeling of lightheadedness, floating or instability, which will more or less affect daily work and life. Therefore, even if the disease occurs occasionally, you should seek medical attention and treatment in a timely manner.

If otolithiasis is confirmed, the main treatment is manual repositioning. Manual repositioning is a method of returning the otoliths that have "accidentally" fallen into the semicircular canal to where they belong - the utricle - through a series of changes in body position, thereby achieving the purpose of treating the disease. Generally, patients can achieve satisfactory results after 1-2 manual reduction treatments. However, some otolithiasis is caused by other diseases, which require simultaneous drug treatment to reduce recurrence.

There was a man, 40 years old, in good health, with no bad habits, and who liked to exercise. One month and a half ago, he used a sonic toothbrush of a well-known brand. A few days ago, he developed otolithiasis for unknown reasons, but it has now been cured! It is now speculated that it may be caused by the use of a sonic toothbrush. Just imagine that the high-frequency vibration of a sonic toothbrush is up to 30,000 times per minute. The vibration transmission through the oral teeth is enough to accelerate the shedding of otoliths. However, due to individual differences and physical conditions, some people will not suffer from otolith disease after using a sonic toothbrush. Therefore, in order to avoid the occurrence of otolithiasis as much as possible, please choose a sonic toothbrush carefully!