The ultrasonic toothbrush – how it works and cleans your teeth
The MEGASONEX ultrasonic toothbrush works differently from other toothbrushes (whether manual or electric). The ‘lion’s share’ of the cleaning is achieved because the toothbrush generates an imperceptible ultrasonic pressure wave that we cannot feel, hear or see. This pressure wave breaks up microscopic chains of bacteria and their attachment to the tooth. All this happens even at a distance of 5 mm from the plaque. The ultrasound helps the tooth to rid itself of harmful chains of bacteria, but dead or dying individual bacteria and debris still remain attached to it. This is where the simultaneous movement of the sound waves and the bristles helps to sweep away the debris left behind by the ultrasound.
What sets the MEGASONEX apart from popular electric toothbrushes is the ultrasound (a 1.6 MHz pressure wave) and the MEGASONEX’s low-amplitude bristle movements, which are designed to move only over a very short distance so as not to damage the tooth enamel. A piece of sandpaper causes far more damage with a wide sweeping motion than with a tiny, controlled movement. Dentists recommend toothbrushes with soft bristles and gentle movements to avoid damaging your teeth and gums. With this in mind, we have designed our brush to be extremely gentle and effective over time, rather than focusing on aggressive cleaning with a single stroke.
Think of it this way: you could restore a valuable old antique painting by using acetone to clean the surface in a single stroke. Yes, it will remove the dirt, but chances are it will also remove valuable, irreplaceable paint. Proper art restorers use various types of cleaning materials that are gentle and remove only what needs to be removed. This process takes a few applications over several days. The same applies to MEGASONEX. It is better to clean gently and effectively than to risk causing damage to your gums and tooth enamel. Worn tooth enamel can lead to a range of problems, including sensitivity and a higher incidence of tooth decay, not to mention that it looks unattractive.
HOW TO USE MEGASONEX CORRECTLY
- Moisten the bristles of the brush head
- Apply your chosen toothpaste. We recommend MEGASONEX toothpaste®, as it is very mild and gentle (RDA 45) on teeth and gums.
- Hold the brush head at a 45-degree angle to the gums, place it along the gum line of your upper arch (on the buccal or cheek side of the teeth), switch the brush on and gently move it in small circular motions along the gum line until you have cleaned all the teeth in the entire arch. Allow at least 30 seconds to complete this one side.
- Now repeat the same process for the lower arch (a further 30 seconds).
- Do the same for the lingual side (30 seconds for the upper arch and 30 seconds for the lower arch).
- Now repeat this for the occlusal or chewing surfaces of your teeth. The brush reminds you to change position with a brief pause every 30 seconds and switches off automatically after 3 minutes.
- This is to prevent the bristles from bending too much. Remember: it is the tip of the bristle that cleans, not the shaft.
After a week of using it two to three times a day, you should find your teeth wonderfully clean, but with less potential damage to your gums and enamel. Your teeth will thank you for it in the years to come.
DO I NEED A SPECIAL TOOTHPASTE?
A definite NO! There is no known specific ingredient in toothpaste that produces microbubbles. You can therefore use any toothpaste you normally buy. As ultrasound travels better through a liquid than through air, we recommend a low-foaming toothpaste such as MEGASONEX® toothpaste to make the most of this and other features of the product.
DO I NEED TO BRUSH USING THE MEGASONEX TECHNIQUE?
The MEGASONEX’s ultrasonic vibrations do an excellent job of breaking up the chains of bacteria that make up plaque and removing the way in which it attaches to the tooth surface. However, in addition to plaque, larger bits of debris or food particles may be present on or between the teeth. To remove these, you need to use brushing movements, just as you would with any other toothbrush.
Ideally, you should brush your teeth using gentle circular or vibrating movements, moving from red to white. You are free to choose whether to use the support of the noticeable sonic vibrations from mode one (9,000 sonic vibrations) or mode two (18,000 sonic vibrations). It is important not to skip the brushing movements!
CAN YOU TELL WHEN THE ULTRASONIC FUNCTION IS ACTIVE?
The ultrasonic function in the MEGASONEX operates silently and invisibly to the user. This is because the frequency range in which the Megacrystal™ operates is imperceptible to the human senses. You can tell whether the toothbrush’s ultrasonic function is active by the blue light on the handpiece.
You cannot make the ultrasonic function visible at home for checking purposes. The ultrasonic function can only be measured using a so-called hydrophone in conjunction with an oscilloscope calibrated for measurements in the range from 1.0 MHz to approximately 2.0 MHz.