Dentists always advise that you should change your toothbrush every three or four months, if it is a standard, manual one. This is because bristles tend to flatten and therefore stop hitting the places where they are needed to get debris out of small gaps between your teeth.

However, rather than just exchanging one manual brush for another, now may be the time to switch to a rechargeable electric toothbrush.

Quite simply, these are regarded by dentists everywhere as being a much better option than manual ones.

For example, speaking to Canadian health website Cnet, dentist Dr Shahrooz Yazdani said: "Electric toothbrushes are often deemed more effective because the motorised component can help bristles reach deeper gum pockets in the mouth more effectively."

Another dentist, Dr Jennifer Silver, said of electric toothbrushes: "They can aid in proper scrubbing technique, reach hard-to-reach areas and provide controlled, consistent movements." 

These advantages highlight two simple facts about electric toothbrushes. Firstly, because they have rotating or oscillating heads, they produce brushing movements that manual brushing cannot, with the bristles moving at a faster speed that dislodges debris and plaque more easily.

Secondly, because of the different shapes of the heads, they can reach into smaller areas more easily and are not so limited in the angles at which they can clean teeth. This means you don’t end up neglecting certain areas and finding these suffer decay.

Because electric toothbrushes are rechargeable, you don’t have to scramble around looking for spare batteries when one is flat, and if it does get like that in the morning and there isn’t time to recharge it, you can always use your old manual brush. By the evening, your electric brush will be well-charged.

Some people may find that they are wedded to old habits and want to stick with a manual toothbrush for that reason and they may be handy in certain instances, such as if you are going camping and may not have an electrical supply easily to hand. But for the rest of the time, an electric toothbrush is definitely the best bet for your teeth.