Best electric toothbrushes for a healthy smile – from Oral-B, Philips and more

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Keeping your teeth and gums healthy with twice-daily brushing is essential for keeping decay and gum disease at bay.

The better you look after your teeth, the less costly dental work you're likely to face in the future.

It's recommended to brush your teeth for two minutes every morning and evening to maintain good oral hygiene, but if you're after a more thorough clean, it might be time for an electric toothbrush.

Battery-powered brushes with oscillating heads that vibrate can remove the build-up of plaque, food, and bacteria to leave teeth feeling squeaky clean.

Many modern designs have high-performance specifications, such as pressure sensors, timers and varying cleaning modes, with prices ranging from £30 to £300. To help you find the best one for your gnashers, we've compiled a shopping guide to the crème de la crème of electric toothbrushes, from leading brands like Oral-B, Philips and Spotlight Oral Care.

12 of the best electric toothbrushes

Spotlight Oral Care Sonic Electric Toothbrush | £110 from Boots

If you like the sensation of a manual toothbrush but want to upgrade your cleaning, this model from Spotlight Oral Care is the perfect compromise. The high-frequency brush will dislodge plaque and bacteria from hard-to-reach areas while being gentle enough not to cause any sensitivity thanks to the three varying settings. If you're not convinced, simply scroll through some of the five-star reviews by satisfied Boots customers, who rate its long-lasting battery life.

Oral-B Smart 6 6000N | £69.99 (was £219.99) from Amazon

Oral-B is a market leader for its extensive range of electric toothbrushes and this is one of its most popular models. It's designed with gum pressure control that will automatically slow down if you brush too hard, and there are five brushing modes; daily clean, pro clean, sensitive, whitening and gum care. On a full charge, the battery will last two weeks and this kit comes with a two-minute timer, three spare brush heads and a travel case.

Philips Sonicare DailyClean 3100 | £35 (was £70) from Boots

Another competitive band is Philips, and its dailyclean 3100 brush has a slew of impressive features. It's been designed to make the transition from a manual brush to an electric one as easy as possible, and the angled head allows easy access to back teeth you may be missing. It gently increases power over the first 14 uses so your teeth can get used to the extra pressure without causing irritation and the battery lasts a length of two weeks on a full charge.

Ordo Sonic+ Toothbrush Rose Gold | £49.99 from Argos

Earn some serious style points with this ultra-luxe, rose gold number from Ordo. It offers 40,000 pulses per minute for a speedy deep clean that your teeth will thank you for. There are four brushing modes: clean, white, massage and sensitive, and a lengthy three-week battery life. You can also set a two-minute timer each time you use it.

Philips Sonicare HX9954/53 DiamondClean Smart | £239.99 from John Lewis

This high-tech toothbrush is well worth the investment. With 62,000 brush head movements a minute and soft, flexible sides and bristles to contour to the shape of your teeth, rest assured you'll be squeaky clean after two minutes. It's also made with a pressure sensore that will light up if you're using too much pressure to clean gums and teeth. Ingenious.

Rechargeable Electric Sonic Toothbrush | £16.99 from Amazon

A bestseller for electric toothbrushes for adults on Amazon, it has a 4.5-star rating from satisfied shoppers and has all the bells and whistles you could want including a two minute timer and it comes with four heads - all for the very reasonable price of £16.99.

Foreo ISSA 2 | £129 from Lookfantastic

Skincare fans will know Foreo for its high-tech facial massaging devices, but it's also turned its attention to oral care. Available in cobalt blue, black and mint, it's arguably one of the chicest toothbrushes on the market. It's designed with 16 cleaning modes, is fully waterproof, has a built-in timer, and a flexible head. According to the brand, one hour of charging time will allow you 365 days of use.

Oral-B Vitality Plus Electric Toothbrush | £29.99 from Argos

Not all Oral-B toothbrushes are made equal, this one, for example, is one of the brand's more affordable electric designs. The oscillating head will dislodge plaque faster than a manual brush and the in-handle timer will ensure you never over, or under clean your teeth. Rechargeable batteries come included.

Silk'n ToothWave | £219.50 (was £299) from Amazon

With a two-week-long battery life, waterproof body, three speeds, and an interval timer, this electric toothbrush does it all. Plus it's available on Amazon, so if you have a Prime subscription, it can be on your doorstep in less than 24 hours. With 48,000 vibrating brush movements, it will make light work of plaque build up.

Oral B Electric Toothbrush Smart 4500 Black with Travel Case | £60 (was £130) from Boots

Oral-B has thought of it all with this smart toothbrush. It connects to the Oral-B smartphone app, which will provide you with real-time feedback on how to brush better and get a more effective clean. It also has pressure control to alert you when you're being too heavy-handed.

Philips Sonicare DailyClean 3500 | £89.99 from Currys

For cleaner, pearly gnashers, add this to your basket ASAP. The built-in timer will ensure you're spending the necessary amount on each area, so teeth are equally clean, and the brush head pulses water between teeth to remove plaque and everyday stains that can discolour teeth.

Oral-B Genius 8000 | £279.99 from Superdrug

It doesn't get more high-tech than this. The brush head is made with position detection which will ensure you never miss a spot, while pressure control will stop you from brushing too hard, and the five cleaning modes, ranging from whitening to sensitive, will suit all types of teeth. It also comes with three brush heads, a travel case, and a smartphone holder, so you can use the Oral-B app for teeth brushing guidance.

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