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Electric Toothbrush Quality

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With 10 years experience in electric toothbrush manufacturing, we simply come to some useful knowledge that is necessary for you, if you’re running your brands or want to resell quality products.

Specifically, we conclude our insights at:

1. What Is an Electric Toothbrush?
2. Types of Electric Toothbrushes
3. Popular Electric Toothbrush Features
4. The Manufacturing of Electric Toothbrushes
5. The Quality Inspection of the Electric Toothbrush

Now it’s time to share what we discovered.

The popularity of the electric toothbrush has been increasing steadily in the past few years. Although it is not really a new invention, it was only recently that consumers have started taking a strong interest in this product.

One of the reasons why the electric toothbrush is now very popular is the considerably lower price from when it was first introduced to the market. Also, people are now more aware of the benefits of using an electric toothbrush as compared to the traditional manual toothbrush.

What Is an Electric Toothbrush?

An electric toothbrush is a toothbrush that makes use of electricity, often from a built-in or a replaceable battery, to make the bristles move rapidly. The movements can be a back and forth oscillation or a rapid rotation, which can be preset or controllable using buttons on the toothbrush. These movements simulate the proper motion when brushing your teeth using a manual toothbrush.

Contrary to what some people might think, an electric toothbrush is actually not a tool for someone who is too lazy to brush their teeth manually. The rapid bristle motions are actually very effective in cleaning teeth. In fact, they produce results that are several times better than what you can do with a manual toothbrush.

Types of Electric Toothbrushes

There are three main types of electric toothbrushes that you can choose from. Each of these comes with their own unique features. It is worthwhile to study these features to find out which of the three types would be most suitable for you.

Oscillating Rotating Toothbrush

The first oscillating rotating toothbrush first came out in 1990. It was produced by Oral B, which is recognized by many to be the first electric toothbrush manufacturer. This particular type of toothbrush was promoted as a very effective tool for removing stubborn plaque and for reducing the risk of suffering from gingivitis.

You can easily distinguish an oscillating rotating toothbrush from its circular brush head that is rather small as compared to the traditional shape of the manual toothbrush head. The oscillating and rotating movement of this electric toothbrush goes alternately in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions.

Sonic Toothbrush

Like the first type, the sonic toothbrush is also very powerful in plaque removal and prevention of gingivitis. The movement of its bristles, however, is very different. Instead of rotating, the brush head moves rapidly in a side to side direction, causing a strong vibration of approximately 31,000 strokes per minute. This vibration is powerful enough to knock out plaque from the teeth surfaces, as well as to drive fluid in between the teeth for more efficient cleaning.

In appearance, most sonic toothbrushes have a brush head that is very similar to that of a standard manual toothbrush.

Ultrasonic Toothbrush

This is by far the most modern and most powerful kind of electric toothbrush that you will find anywhere in the world. They use ultrasonic waves, which are generated by a piezo crystal that is built into the toothbrush.

The bristles of an ultrasonic toothbrush are specially made, and they can move in either an up and down or side to side motion. The most impressive feature of an ultrasonic toothbrush is that its waves have a minimum frequency of 20,000 Hz, which is equivalent to about 2,400,000 brush strokes per minute.

Electric Toothbrush Features

The specific features of each product will depend on the electric toothbrush manufacturer. Some have more features than others but generally, electric toothbrushes should have a timer and a controller to set the cleaning mode.

Timer

Some of the older models do not have a timer but in the newer electric toothbrushes, this is a basic feature. The timer is meant to serve as a guide as to how long you should brush your teeth in order to get maximum cleaning results. It starts when you begin brushing and automatically turns the toothbrush off when you are done.

By default, most electric toothbrush manufacturers set the timer at two minutes because this is the recommended duration for brushing, according to oral health experts. To be more precise, one should spend 30 minutes brushing each quadrant of the mouth. For this reason, some electric toothbrush manufacturers set the timer at 30-second intervals, to remind you of when to move to the next section of your mouth.

Cleaning Mode

Different users prefer different levels of intensity when brushing their teeth. Also, there are different modes that are recommended for different areas of the mouth. Because of this, most electric toothbrushes have a button that lets you switch to several cleaning modes.

The exact names will vary but in general, electric toothbrushes will have a cleaning mode for users with sensitivity, another for daily use, and another for polishing teeth. Many electric toothbrush manufacturers now also include a separate cleaning mode for whitening the teeth.

Oftentimes, all it takes to switch from one cleaning mode to another is to press the power button multiple times until you get to the mode you want. Some toothbrushes have a small display that indicates your chosen mode while others do not.

The Manufacturing of Electric Toothbrushes

As you can imagine, the job of an electric toothbrush manufacturer is not very easy. With all the advanced features of this modern oral care tool, there are several stages that are necessary in order to complete a high-quality and truly effective product.

Design Stage

This stage is very crucial because the rest of the manufacturing process will be useless if the design is not perfect to begin with. Several decisions have to be made when creating the design of an electric toothbrush. How many cleaning modes should it have? What is the age range of the target market? What angle should be used for the brush head?

The appearance of the toothbrush, while not very relevant in the functionality of the product, is also vital because it will affect the sales potential. Thus, consumer trends have to be studied in order to choose the colors and shapes of the final product.

Making the Handle

Although the bristles are usually considered to be the main part of the toothbrush, the handle is actually just as important. It is very important that it has the right shape for easy handling and an efficient grip. Basically, the handle is made by shaping molten plastic granules into a mold while it is very hot.

It is very important that the handle is sturdy and durable, not only because this is where the user will hold the toothbrush but more importantly, because it houses the motor and internal circuits that will make the electric toothbrush work.

Inserting the Motor, Battery and Gearing

This is probably the most sensitive part of the job of an electric toothbrush manufacturer. Before insertion, the motor, battery and gearing system are connected and tested to see if they work properly. Once they have been thoroughly tested and confirmed to pass quality standards, they will be assembled into a compact unit that also contains the circuit and the charger coil.

This unit will then be inserted into the hollow area in the plastic handle, taking care to ensure that it is properly aligned with the on and off switch that is on the exterior of the handle casing. The hollow space in the handle is specifically designed to house this central component of the electric toothbrush.

Creating the Removable Brush

This part is what actually cleans your teeth. It consists of the brush head and a cam and gear unit that is responsible for the rapid motions of the bristles that will clean your teeth.

Once the brush head is attached to the handle, the gears in the brush will be in perfect connection to a gear on the topmost part of the motor. Thus, the entire toothbrush becomes a complete functional unit.

Packaging the Toothbrushes

The box used for packaging an electric toothbrush is typically much larger than that of a regular manual toothbrush. This is because it has several different components that have to be safely padded and secured. In addition to the body of the toothbrush and the corresponding brush head, there are also accessories that have to be included, such as the charging device and other fittings.

Sometimes, the different parts of an electric toothbrush may come from different manufacturing sites, especially if the manufacturing company has several facilities in multiple locations. But in the end, all the pieces will have to be collected in one final packaging facility and put together in a single box, upon which it will be ready for delivery to the customers.

The Quality Inspection of the Electric Toothbrush

There are several levels of inspection that an electric toothbrush manufacturer has to do before the product will be approved for distribution to the customers. The toothbrush will have to pass every single one of these tests. Otherwise, it will have to be returned to the production line for corrections and retesting.

Product Labeling and Description

The labels and descriptive text on the product should remain visible even after prolonged use of the toothbrush. The electric toothbrush manufacturer tests this by first wiping the area with water for 15 seconds, then wiping it with gasoline for another 15 seconds. The print has to be visible after this in order to pass the test.

Appearance and Structure Inspection

This is a quick test that will just check the outward appearance of the toothbrush. The checker will look for inconsistencies in color and luster, as well as imperfections in the surface like cracks, rough edges or deformities. If the toothbrush looks fine and the surfaces are all smooth, clean and bright, then it can move to the next test.

Functional Inspection

This is a more in-depth test that checks for errors in the functionality of the toothbrush. Among the tests that manufacturers do in this part of the inspection process is to press the power button repeatedly to see if irregularities are present. They will also check if the cleaning mode actually changes with each press of the key, and so on.

Waterproof Test

Obviously, an electric toothbrush is going to be used in a wet environment. It is therefore very important that the product is completely waterproof to keep the internal motor dry and functional, since water can damage the circuitry. More importantly, the toothbrush runs on electricity. If it is not 100% waterproof, there will be a risk for electrocution, which is definitely not an option.

Electric Safety Test

In addition to the waterproof test that will help verify the safety of the electric toothbrush, there are also a couple of electric safety tests that each electric toothbrush manufacturer has to pass in order for their product to be admissible into the market. To be specific, the electric toothbrush has to adhere to the safety regulations of GB4706.1 and GB 4706.59.

Noise Test

It is inevitable that an electric toothbrush will produce some amount of sound since it runs on a motor. Also, the powerful vibrations of the brush head will definitely produce a hum. However, there are still standards that an electric toothbrush manufacturer has to follow when it comes to noise production.

For a swing electric toothbrush, the produced noise should not be more than 65dB (A). For a rotary electric toothbrush, on the other hand, the level of sound should not exceed 72dB (A).

Drop Test

The fact that occasional mishaps may occur should not be discounted and so an electric toothbrush manufacturer will have to test their product for durability in case of an accidental drop.

There are two kinds of drop tests that electric toothbrushes use. The first is the package drop test, which tests what happens to the toothbrush when dropped during delivery. The second is the bare product drop test, which will show what will happen when the end-user accidentally drops the product. In both tests, the toothbrush should not sustain any physical or functional damage.

Our Electric Toothbrush Insights