More likely than not, your dental health isn’t something you spend a lot of time thinking about – well, until your annual visit to the dentist’s office, that is. Almost always, when and how often you brush your teeth is going to be the biggest factor in keeping clean teeth, but having the best possible toothbrush for your needs can improve your healthy habits and make you more likely to brush. When it comes down to it, there are two types of toothbrushes: manual and electric. Read on to learn which one’s best for you.

Price

One of the biggest factors you’ll come across when comparing toothbrushes is the price you pay. Take a look at any supermarket bath and body section and you’ll quickly see that manual toothbrushes are really not all that expensive. For a couple bucks, you can buy yourself a perfectly adequate toothbrush, and for a few dollars more, you’ll find even higher-quality brushes. While your toothbrush will last you three months or so, it’s only a few dollars here and there.

Obviously, electric toothbrushes are more of an investment, and you’re likely to spend anywhere from ten to twenty times as much than you would on a regular manual toothbrush. However, once you’ve made your initial investment in the main body of the electric brush, you’ll spend just as much replacing the brush heads as you would on replacing a manual toothbrush. One other thing to keep in mind is the price of losing a toothbrush, which is especially common when travelling or moving. So, you’ll probably want to have a manual toothbrush on hand anyway, just in case.

Features

Does anything really need to be said about what features you get with a toothbrush? Unless you’re dropping obscene amounts of money on a manual brush whose body is made from a heavy metal or brush head made from rare fibers, you know what you’re getting.

Of course, the big draw of electric toothbrushes is all the features they offer. These days, many electric brushes don’t just power their own brushstrokes – some come with an automatic timer, various brushing modes, and even Bluetooth connectivity. So, are those extra features worth the extra cost of an electric toothbrush? That will be something only you can decide, though many of those who’ve made the switch to electric swear the features are all too worth it.

Quality

Now, here’s the million dollar question: do electric toothbrushes really provide a better quality brushing experience? As multiple studies have found, the answer is mostly a disappointing “no.” As long as you’re brushing multiple times a day and making sure you get those hard-to-reach spots, whether you use an electric or manual brush doesn’t matter all that much.

That said, an electric toothbrush can be better for those with limited mobility. And for those who really think the additional features will make them brush more often, an electric can be more than worth it. After all, the 30 or 40 dollars you spend on an electric brush is a drop in the bucket when compared to the potential dentist bills you’d be paying if you tend to skip out on your brushing habit.