We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Health

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is an Ionic Toothbrush?

By R. Stamm
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 17,730
Share

An ionic toothbrush is a brush that removes plaque and bacteria from the surfaces of teeth and in places that a regular brush cannot reach by breaking the electrostatic bond of the surface of the tooth, reversing the polarity of the tooth and creating a negatively charged circuit to collect bacteria and plaque. Manufactures claim that teeth are cleaner, healthier and whiter with the use of an ionic toothbrush. These toothbrushes are compact, quiet and do not need constant recharging like electrical or battery-operated toothbrushes do, and there are no annoying vibrations. It can be used with or without toothpaste, depending on the brand. The cost of an ionic toothbrush can range from $20 US Dollars to $40 USD, depending on where it is purchased and from which manufacturer.

The brush works on basic scientific principles. Everything in the physical world is made up of atoms, which are attracted to each other depending on the charge of their particles. Positively charged particles are attracted to negative electrons and bond equally together. The surface of a tooth has a negative electrical charge, and bacteria and plaque have a positive charge. Opposite ions attract, so the bacteria and plaque adhere to the teeth.

The ionic toothbrush reverses the negative electrical polarity of teeth by sending a constant flow of positive ions into the mouth. Positively charged particles cannot bond with positively charged particles, so this influx of positive ions helps the teeth repel the positive charge of bacteria and plaque. Without a negatively charged surface, however, bacteria and plaque have nowhere else to go except back to the tooth once the positive ions are removed.

This is where the second important feature of the brush comes in. By holding the ionic toothbrush and placing a finger on the metal pad that connects to a titanium rod, along with the addition of saliva and water, a negative electrical circuit is created. This electrical circuit causes the bristles of the brush to carry a negative electrical charge, which will attract the positive charge of bacteria and plaque. It also will help lift the positive charge of many surface stains on the tooth.

In addition to cleaning teeth and preventing cavities, the ionic toothbrush might be useful in preventing gum disease. It is reported that the ions are able to get to plaque buildup in hard-to-reach places. This buildup of plaque is primarily responsible for gum disease and can cause bad breath. Plaque buildup can lead to teeth that are rotten or discolored and full of cavities. The magnetic pull of the negatively charged bristles aids the brush in reaching into places that a regular toothbrush cannot.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
By lu88cky — On Aug 11, 2015

I just had mine delivered today. 'Kiss You' brand from Japan. Cheapest I could find. No idea what the packaging says but my teeth do feel great right now.

I am very interested in the technology and whose brainchild it was, and who originally developed it. On the Kiss You website I was able to google translate a few things here and there. Under the clinical tab there was a paper dated 1992! I so wish I knew about this then. It would have saved me thousands over the years. Another paper from 2013 had a title suggesting that cavities were healing over after use with an ionic toothbrush. That's exciting. Unfortunately I was not able to view the PDF to do further translations.

If anyone knows anything of the origins, please type it in!

By ddljohn — On Jul 23, 2014

Ionic toothbrushes clean well, but they're not suitable for everyone. I have sensitive teeth and I could not use the ionic toothbrush after several days. My teeth became even more sensitive and I couldn't drink anything hot or cold.

I'm not sure how, but the ionic toothbrush does sensitize teeth, at least in my opinion. I do not recommend it to people who already have sensitive teeth.

By burcinc — On Jul 23, 2014

@SarahGen-- An ionic toothbrush may seem fancy or too good to be true but it works. I had my doubts about it too when I bought it. But after a few uses, I realized that this whole mechanism of positive and negative ions works. I highly recommend that you try this brush at least once before making up your mind about it.

The great part about the ionic toothbrush is that it doesn't only clean well, but it maintains clean teeth for far longer. I'm actually not as particular about cleaning my teeth as other people. I usually brush only once a day. But my teeth are doing great because the ionic toothbrush keeps them clean for a very long time.

I think that the toothbrush doesn't just attract the bacteria and plaque, it prevents them from coming back for a while as well. I don't think that I'm ever going to go back to a regular toothbrush.

By SarahGen — On Jul 22, 2014

The idea sounds nice, but do we really need an ionic toothbrush to prevent cavities and keep teeth clean? It seems like an easy way to make money for the manufacturer.

Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-an-ionic-toothbrush.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.