“The ISSA Toothbrush by Foreo is a breakthrough in battery-operated toothbrushes,” says Gregg Lituchy, a dentist at Lowenberg, Lituchy & Kantor in New York City. Instead of the usual rotating bristle brush, the newly-released ISSA 2 uses a pulsing silicone brush that the company claims is 35 times more hygienic than standard bristles. The head needs to be replaced just once a year and the charge lasts about 6 months.

“Toothbrushes are as individual as automobiles. Everyone has a preference. I personally use a Sonicare DiamondClean toothbrush,” says John Comisi, a dentist based in Ithaca, New York. “I like its small diameter toothbrush head, with a 2-minute timer. It comes with a very convenient travel case. Overall, it is probably the electronic toothbrush I recommend most.”

“My favorite electric toothbrush is from Rotadent,” says Kourosh Maddhi, a cosmetic dentist based in Beverly Hills, Calif. “It has very soft bristles, thus minimizing damage to the gum.” The brush automatically shuts off after 2 and a half minutes of use, and the charge lasts up to 3 weeks.

“I like the Oral B Braun brush for its circumferential action on the tooth surface,” says David Tecosky, a Philadelphia-based dentist. A pressure sensor lets you know when you’re brushing too hard, and an in-handle timer pulses every 30 seconds to signal that it’s time to move to a different part of your mouth.

“My favorite toothbrush is, by far, the Sonicare toothbrush,” says Laurence Grayhills, president-elect of the Florida Acadamy of General Dentistry in Wellington, Florida. “It oscillates back and forth at a frequency of about 20,000 cycles per second (that’s faster than I can do with my hand and manual toothbrush). While most toothbrushes require mechanical contact with the tooth surface to remove plaque, the Sonicare operates at such a high frequency that it creates a cavitational force that blasts plaque off the teeth without actually touching the tooth. There are a variety of brush-heads for various applications, which increases the versatility of the device. It has a built-in quadrant timer so that people use the device for the recommended brushing time.”

“I encourage my patients to use electric toothbrushes because they clean 50% better than a manual toothbrush,” says Colorado-based dentist Gary Moore. His pick? A $25 device you can grab at Walmart. “Smile Direct Club’s electric toothbrush offers a 2-minute timer with quadrant timing to ensure even brushing in the right areas for the right amount of time. And the design is roll-resistant, to ensure the electric toothbrush stays put and cleans effectively,” he adds.

“I love the idea of this, not only because Waterpik is traditionally a great product, but also because you get two things for the price of one gadget,” says Sheila Samaddar, a member of the American Dental Association and president of the DC Academy of General Dentistry. Plus, this one claims to be up to twice as effective as traditional brushing and flossing for reducing plaque and improving gum health. “Do keep in mind, however, that a water flosser is an adjunct to flossing and does not take the place of traditional flossing. You still need to get that string between your teeth to clean properly and efficiently!” she points out.

“It’s important to find effective oral care products that are tailored to fit your needs, which is why I recommend Shyn, an oral care subscription service, to my patients,” says Joe Willardsen, Founder of True Dentistry in Las Vegas and a Dental Advisory Board Member for Shyn. “Shyn provides an advanced sonic toothbrush with customizable settings like the ability to change intensity levels and high-quality features such as a pressure sensor that prevents brushing too hard and a two-minute timer that alerts you every 30 seconds when it’s to move on to the next part of your mouth. From the choice of brush heads designed for daily oral care challenges like plaque buildup, sensitive gums and stained teeth to the selection of additional oral care products like flossers, toothpaste and whitening strips in your refill kit, Shyn subscriptions are customized to fit your oral care needs at an affordable price.”

“The Oral-B Genius X is the number one recommended brush by dentists and superior in a number of ways,” says Jonathan Levine, oral health expert and dental specialist and associate professor at NYU Dental School. “The oscillating and rotating bristles are moving 48,000 brush movements versus the 600 that a manual brush will do to disrupt and remove plaque, and it’s 32% better than the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean.”

“This toothbrush by Gleem is getting rave reviews for its bells and whistles at a very inexpensive price,” says Dr. Samaddar. “The bristles are soft, which is always my recommendation preference, and it has a timer to help keep track of how long you are brushing. If you are new to electric toothbrushes and want to try one without a huge financial commitment, this might be a good brush to try over others in the same price range.”