Electric toothbrushes have advanced in recent years to where they are really quite effective at cleaning your teeth. There are several excellent brands on the market.

One that's a favorite with many dentists is the Sonicare toothbrush. It breaks up the plaque with sonic vibrations, and is quite effective. Before the Sonicare came along, dentists were generally a bit cool toward electric toothbrushes. However, studies were done that showed that Sonicare, with its sonic vibrations, removed more plaque than manual brushes.

Since then, other companies have developed excellent brushes, and dentists have come to recommend them to their patients. Recent testing seems to indicate that the Braun

Oral B ProfessionalCare 7000 series also cleans more effectively than manual techniques. Other Braun Oral B models are also effective.

We hesitate to suggest that there is any substitute for flossing, for fear of being misunderstood. There is no adequate substitute for getting floss between your teeth. Nothing else will clean the critical contact point between the teeth and the very important sulcus between your tooth and the gum. But, for someone who absolutely refuses to floss, using an excellent electric unit such as the brands we've recommended, appears to be the best alternative to doing the real thing.

Should you use one of these on cosmetic dental work? Absolutely, says Dr. Hall. As long as the bristles are soft, one of these models could work very well for helping to maintain cosmetic dental work. We do recommend using a gentle toothpaste such as Supersmile whitening toothpaste, though. An abrasive toothpaste could damage cosmetic bonding.

Another option is the Supersmile Advanced Sonic Pulse toothbrush, pictured at the left.

Supersmile toothpaste was developed by cosmetic dentist Dr. Irwin Smigel for people with cosmetic dental work. It has an enzymatic action that gently removes the protein pellicle that tooth stains attach to without harsh abrasives. The Sonic Pulse toothbrush has a patented Sonic Technology that operates at approximately 30,000 strokes per minute to help remove plaque and bacteria from the gum crevice as well as polishing and whitening the tooth enamel. The bristles are beveled to a 45° angle for optimum access to be able to clean the gingival crevice.

These toothbrushes are not generally available through retail stores but are available online from America's Dental Bookstore. Click here to go to that website to purchase the Supersmile Advanced Sonic Pulse toothbrush.

If you are interested, here are links to purchase one of these toothbrushes:

Sonicare Essence: This is their most popular toothbrush

Sonicare FlexCare Plus: This is their nicest toothbrush

Click here to purchase the Supersmile Advanced Sonic Pulse toothbrush.