The toothbrush has been around since the 1400's in China, but luckily for you (and everyone close enough to smell your breath) the technology has come on a long way since then. The 'chew sticks' of a by gone age wouldn't be up to the modern diet, I can't imagine them being great for dislodging that annoying bit of popcorn from between you molars. So after 600 years, what are the latest offerings, and as well as being good for brushing the crud out from under your gum, we have to expect them to look the part sat up in a prominent position in our new bathroom as well.
1. Forea Issa 2 - €169
This Swedish designed electric toothbrush combines silicone bristles and polymer tufts for an optimal
clean, and the head only requires replacement every 365 days. One head per year. The normal replacement frequency for a toothbrush is 2-3 months. Also it come with a 10 year quality guarantee. The battery life is excellent, with the manufacturer claiming four months from a single charge. The materials that it is made from are naturally less attractive to bacterial colonisation, so harbour less germs when they are sitting in the glass on the sink, and because it is completely waterproof you can use it in the shower with no risk to the components. The Issa 2 utilises sonic technology vibrating at 11'000 pulsations per minute to sweep the teeth and gums. The toothbrush looks great, and is available in cobalt blue, pearl pink, mint and cool black.
2. Radius. The Source - €8.55
This is an American design, and they have been hoovering up design concept awards since the inception of their original toothbrush, ergonomically designed, when purchasing they ask you to specify right or left handed to maximise comfort in the handle design, the handle is made from upcycled materials including
dollar bills, wood or paper. The heads are replaceable, and need to be changed every couple of months. They have a unique curved bristle head to allow gentle cleansing of the gum, avoiding trauma. They don't have much tech built in obviously, but for the environmentally conscious, they are BPA free, vegan friendly, not animal tested, and ADA approved. This brush comes in the colour of the material its made from the one to the right here is dollar bills.
3. Quip - €25 (and €4.25 every 3 months for refills)
Another revolution coming to us from the USA, is the idea of a subscription for your tooth care products. Yes you can buy the brush on its own, but if they were to send you the brush head, the mouth rinse and the floss every three months, you would have no more excuses. This is the same model that has seen the
dollar shave club work so well. The toothbrush itself has a real sleek minimalist design, it looks cool. It comes in red, gold, silver, slate, copper, and there are two cheaper options in blue or green plastic. As with most modern electric toothbrushes it has a built in timer device to help regulate your brushing, but unlike other brands there are not multiple brushing modes, just one for simplicity. This is my pick of the bunch for style.
4. Phillips Sonicare Diamond Clean - €379.99
This is a lot of toothbrush. It has a lot of tech built in, and it give a great clean. The question is the price. You could get a very good electric toothbrush and tooth whitening for this price. The toothbrush though is the best in the business in my opinion. Phillips claim to guarantee a whiter smile within a week of using it
and healthier gums after 2 weeks. The adaptive clean mode claims to gain 4x more surface contact and remove up to 10x more plaque than in standard mode. I have used the sonicare or a variety of it myself for a number of years, and although it takes a while to get used to the sensation of a 'sonic' clean, it is excellent. This is a great toothbrush, and periodically you will find it on offer either online or in one of the larger pharmacists. The brush has an inbuilt pressure sensor, and whilst not unique, this one is extremely sensitive. There is no chance that you will over brush with this toothbrush. Anyone who has sensitive teeth or gingival recession, this is the brush for you. When I say it takes a while to get used to, I mean it pulsates at 31'000 strokes per minute, it tickles, a lot.
5. Braun Oral B Genius 9000 - €390
Another pricey toothbrush, bu this is another with top tech. It has a built in motion sensor that links to an app in your smartphone that specifically shows you the areas that you have missed and that you have brushed insufficiently. It only moves at a quarter of the speed of a Sonicare, and this helps with that tickling effect, and as an oscillating brush instead of a vibrating head it can be more comfortable for some.
Whilst the brush itself has numerous modes for different types of clean, they also have the widest range of head types. They are also readily available. I can't think of a shop locally either a supermarket or a pharmacist that doesn't stock a compatible head for this brush. The biggest reason people relapse from their power brush back to their manual is that the head needed replacing and they haven't got round to changing it. Get a brush that you can easily get the heads, or bulk buy them online. This brush has been a best seller for years, and is highly efficient and highly effective. That price tag though...
Loads of options there, and so much better and more effective than your standard manual. There have been numerous studies done into the success of these types of powered brushes, they compensate for poor brushing technique, reduce plaque, reduce cavities and reduce the bacteria that contribute to bad breath and gum disease.
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