Sonic vs rotating toothbrushes: Which is better? (2024)

Sonic vs rotating toothbrushes: Which is better? (1)

If you’ve tried to buy an electric toothbrush at any point in the last few years, you’ll know there are lots (and we mean lots) of different varieties. From charging stations and in-built timers to artificial intelligence, connected apps, and wall mounts, the amount of gimmicks attached to the best electric toothbrushes is many and varied.

However, before you make your selection, the main choice you need to know about is the kind of brushing action you want: rotating or sonic. What do these key terms mean, what’s the difference between them, and which is better for fighting off tooth decay and gum disease? We’ll break it all down below.

What do “sonic” and “rotating” actually mean?

Sonic vs rotating toothbrushes: Which is better? (2)

A sonic toothbrush uses vibrations to move the bristles in two directions, side-to-side or up-and-down, to remove plaque and clean more efficiently than a manual toothbrush. A sonic toothbrush vibrates at a high frequency, but still only moves in one dimension.

A rotating toothbrush, on the other hand, might still vibrate, but the bristles move back and forth in a circular motion. You’ve probably seen those characteristic circular heads on many electric toothbrushes. These brushes can still vibrate in addition to the circular motion of the brush head, depending on the model.

It's really that simple. Sonic equals side-to-side, rotating or oscillating equals circular movements.

Sonic vs rotating vs manual toothbrush: Which is better?

Both sonic and rotating toothbrushes offer benefits over a manual toothbrush, including improved plaque removal, according to a meta-analysis of studies published before 2021. Plaque is a sticky film over your teeth which is a hub for bacteria, which eventually cause all kinds of problems including gum disease. Therefore, an improvement in plaque removal means better dental hygiene overall.

A more powerful handset will mean stronger vibrations and a higher rate of brush strokes. The average person brushes their teeth with a manual brush at a pace of around 300 brush strokes per minute, according to Oral-B. Powered brushes can operate at a rate of around 40,000 brush strokes per minute, although these are a lot smaller, less forceful strokes.

But what about rotating vs sonic? According to a research paper published in the International Journal of Dental Hygiene which analyzed 38 comparison studies, there was an overall “small but significant difference” in favor of the oscillating or rotating brush versus the high-frequency sonic variety. There are some gaps here (for example, the analysis study doesn’t say which handsets were used) but according to this particular analysis of the available research, you want to opt for oscillating over side-to-side movement.

However, an upgrade from a manual toothbrush to a sonic toothbrush is still an upgrade; the top oscillating toothbrushes tend to be more expensive than sonic toothbrushes, as the more complicated motion requires different motors. If you’re still rocking the manual brush, a sonic brush will still be a significant upgrade for you, but if you’ve been using a cheap sonic brush for a while, consider a rotating one to take your oral hygiene to the next level.

You might also like

  • Suri Sustainable Sonic Toothbrush review: can this keep you and the planet clean?
  • The best electric toothbrush 2024: Our choices for whiter, cleaner teeth
  • After checking out the science, I'm buying a Waterpik flosser on Amazon today

Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox

Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.

Sonic vs rotating toothbrushes: Which is better? (4)

Matt Evans

Fitness, Wellness, and Wearables Editor

Matt is TechRadar's expert on all things fitness, wellness and wearable tech. A former staffer at Men's Health, he holds a Master's Degree in journalism from Cardiff and has written for brands like Runner's World, Women's Health, Men's Fitness, LiveScience and Fit&Well on everything fitness tech, exercise, nutrition and mental wellbeing.

Matt's a keen runner, ex-kickboxer, not averse to the odd yoga flow, and insists everyone should stretch every morning. When he’s not training or writing about health and fitness, he can be found reading doorstop-thick fantasy books with lots of fictional maps in them.

More about oral health

Sonic Spa Pro review: I tried cleaning my toothbrushes in a sonic bath for a month – here’s what I foundWant a toothbrush made of the same material used on the Saturn V? Now you can with the 'world's first' titanium electric toothbrush

Latest

Thousands of confidential UN documents linked to gender equality push leaked online
See more latest►

Most Popular
iPhone 16 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: is it time to upgrade?
Apple TV Plus vs Max: which is the better streamer to sign up to in 2024?
Apple Watch GPS vs Cellular: Key differences explained
iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro: which Pro is best for you?
Apple Watch 42mm vs 46mm: Which Apple Watch size should you get?
AirPods Pro 2 vs AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation: Which should you buy?
AMD RX 7900 GRE vs RX 7800 XT: which midrange GPU is right for you?
iPhone 16 vs iPhone 15: battle of the base models
iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: a Pro showdown
Meta Quest 3 vs Meta Quest 3S: which Meta headset is right for you?
I'm a drone expert and trust me, the DJI Mini 4K is a better first drone than the DJI Neo – here are 5 reasons why
Sonic vs rotating toothbrushes: Which is better? (2024)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Carmelo Roob

Last Updated:

Views: 5900

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (65 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Carmelo Roob

Birthday: 1995-01-09

Address: Apt. 915 481 Sipes Cliff, New Gonzalobury, CO 80176

Phone: +6773780339780

Job: Sales Executive

Hobby: Gaming, Jogging, Rugby, Video gaming, Handball, Ice skating, Web surfing

Introduction: My name is Carmelo Roob, I am a modern, handsome, delightful, comfortable, attractive, vast, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.