In addition to their power source, power toothbrushes differ in their cleaning technology mechanisms and can be categorized by the manner in which the brush head moves. Table 1 summarizes the various types of motion and modes of action in power brush movements.
| Mode of Action | Brush head motion | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Oscillating-Rotating | Brush head rotates in one direction and then the other. Does not rotate in full circle. | Oral-B Vitality |
| Oscillating-Rotating Pulsating | Entire brush head oscillates, rotates, and pulsates (Figure 5). | Oral-B Professional Care Series Oral-B Smart Series Oral-B GENIUS |
| Side-to-side (sonic) | Brush head moves laterally in a side-to-side motion. | Philips Sonicare |
| Multi-directional | Brush sweeps from side-to-side and pulsates | Colgate ProClinical |
| Counter-Oscillation | Adjacent tufts rotate in opposite directions to each other. | Interplak |
| Circular/Rotary | Entire brush head rotates in a full circle moving in one direction only. | Rotadent Rowenta Dentiphant (RowentaWerke GmbH, Franz Alban, Stützer, Germany) Teledyne (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA) |
| Ultrasonic | Bristles vibrate at ultrasonic frequencies (>250 kHz). | Ultrasonex (Sonex International Corp., Brewster, NY, USA) |
| Ionic | Brush imparts an electrical charge to the tooth’s surface. | Hukaba Ionic (Dyna-Dental Systems, Tempe, AZ, USA) |
