A toothbrush the whole family can love

[El]

Choosing a buzzing brush

Overall, powered toothbrushes clean better than manual ones, but experts differ as to why. Some studies show that electric toothbrushes really do remove more plaque, but others say that you're simply more likely to brush longer with an electric brush than with a manual toothbrush. One thing is certain -- it's definitely more expensive to use an electric toothbrush. Once you buy the brush itself, you'll need to replace the brush heads every month to two months at a cost of between $4 and $8 each.

If you're considering an electric toothbrush, here are some factors to consider:

    A timer that either signals or turns off the unit is a plus. Experts recommend brushing for a minimum of two minutes. Some electric toothbrushes, including Sonicare and Oral-B models, feature an audible signal that beeps every 30 seconds, indicating that it's time to switch to a different quadrant of the mouth, while others sound an alert after two minutes has elapsed.

    A rechargeable toothbrush is convenient and eliminates the cost of frequent battery changes. A brush should deliver enough power for at least one week of brushing on a full charge. This means you won't have to take the charging base with you on weekend trips or short vacations.

    Brush heads should be replaced every three months (on average). One handle can be used by the whole family, as long as each person uses his or her own brush head. It's a good idea to make sure you can find replacement heads easily.

    The size of the brush head is important. For most people, a smaller brush head allows greater access to hard-to-reach tooth surfaces, but it's a matter of personal preference.

...wut.   

Wound up stumbling across this after hearing this on the news:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/16/arm-hammer-spinbrush-warning-fda_n_1283230.html  and wandering the web.  Apparently the fix for the dangerous toothbrushes is "don't use a toothbrush that looks like it's falling apart."  Gee, thanks, that wasn't already intuitive.  O_o  I've been using that kind of brush for years; here's hoping it doesn't rip my face off someday.

[Peter]

I'm not really the handle-sharing sort.

Once you buy the brush itself, you'll need to replace the brush heads every month to two months at a cost of between $4 and $8 each.

I've been using the same brush head on mine for a couple of years now.  It's a bit worn, but it still cleans just fine.

[renaeden]

I used a powered brush when I had braces as it was easier but now I am back to the regular sort. I get a new one once every couple of months.

[Parts]

Here's an instructional video on proper use in case anyone is confused  Link
 

[El]

I'm not really the handle-sharing sort.

Once you buy the brush itself, you'll need to replace the brush heads every month to two months at a cost of between $4 and $8 each.

I've been using the same brush head on mine for a couple of years now.  It's a bit worn, but it still cleans just fine.

It's not that the brush won't scrape away gunk; it's that it's prolly loaded with bacteria at this point.  I don't think once every 3 months is necessary (the company just wants you to buy their shit) but I try not to use the same brush forever.  If I get sick (cold, flu, whatever) I usually change it after I get unsick.  (Which may not actually make sense but it usually feels like a good idea.)

[Icequeen]

...One handle can be used by the whole family

Obviously this person doesn't live with people that drool all over the handle when they brush their teeth. 

[Queen Victoria]

I buy the soft bristle children's tooth brushes from the dollar store.  They're 2 or 3 to a pack.  I replace them once a month, so the cost per year is less than $6. 

One thing that people do is to brush too hard.  This makes the bristles flatten against your teeth and they don't do as good a job as the ends of the bristles do. 

[eris]

Here's an instructional video on proper use in case anyone is confused  Link
 

hahaha


i used an electric toothbrush to masturbate with before i was old enough to buy a vibrator. i remember thinking "wow if this feels this good i wonder how good a REAL vibrator feels". it feels about the same lol.

[Peter]

I'm not really the handle-sharing sort.

Once you buy the brush itself, you'll need to replace the brush heads every month to two months at a cost of between $4 and $8 each.

I've been using the same brush head on mine for a couple of years now.  It's a bit worn, but it still cleans just fine.

It's not that the brush won't scrape away gunk; it's that it's prolly loaded with bacteria at this point.  I don't think once every 3 months is necessary (the company just wants you to buy their shit) but I try not to use the same brush forever.  If I get sick (cold, flu, whatever) I usually change it after I get unsick.  (Which may not actually make sense but it usually feels like a good idea.)

Yeah, it would be terrible if I put the bacteria from my mouth back in my mouth. 

[El]

I'm not really the handle-sharing sort.

Once you buy the brush itself, you'll need to replace the brush heads every month to two months at a cost of between $4 and $8 each.

I've been using the same brush head on mine for a couple of years now.  It's a bit worn, but it still cleans just fine.

It's not that the brush won't scrape away gunk; it's that it's prolly loaded with bacteria at this point.  I don't think once every 3 months is necessary (the company just wants you to buy their shit) but I try not to use the same brush forever.  If I get sick (cold, flu, whatever) I usually change it after I get unsick.  (Which may not actually make sense but it usually feels like a good idea.)

Yeah, it would be terrible if I put the bacteria from my mouth back in my mouth. 

Bacteria from your mouth, from toilet spray if you don't close it before flushing.  Possibly some small amount of mold and other gunky stuff that grows in warm, damp places.  Dunno, strikes me as icky never to change the brush head.

[Adam]

from toilet spray if you don't close it before flushing.

ffs I KNEW someone would mention that

[Adam]

I'm right about the toilet fog

I probably would have been a miasmatist  if I'd been born 150 years earlier

[El]

I'm right about the toilet fog

I probably would have been a miasmatist  if I'd been born 150 years earlier

Not to made your OCD worse, but I've heard the toilet spray thing too; I always make sure the lid's down if I'm not actually on the thing when I'm flushing it.

And it's not miasmatism (or OCD) to not want to potentially be putting e coli or other gross stuff from sprayed toilet water into your mouth.

[Adam]

Youre right

but I worry that if I start making sure the toilet's down all the time, I will get OCD about it

that's the annoying thing. working out what's safe to do and what isn't. i often think "well this would be a NORMAL thing to do - even people without OCD dont like that", but my OCD isn't at a safe enough level yet for me to wanna add anything else to my bathroom routine

especially as the one problem I still have with it is to do with the "toilet atmosphere" (I am still having trouble breathing in the toilet. it's really fucked up

I'm ruining everyone's exciting toothbrush conversation, I apologise

here's a photo of the shop outside my house



i'm very sleepy

[Peter]

I'm not really the handle-sharing sort.

Once you buy the brush itself, you'll need to replace the brush heads every month to two months at a cost of between $4 and $8 each.

I've been using the same brush head on mine for a couple of years now.  It's a bit worn, but it still cleans just fine.

It's not that the brush won't scrape away gunk; it's that it's prolly loaded with bacteria at this point.  I don't think once every 3 months is necessary (the company just wants you to buy their shit) but I try not to use the same brush forever.  If I get sick (cold, flu, whatever) I usually change it after I get unsick.  (Which may not actually make sense but it usually feels like a good idea.)

Yeah, it would be terrible if I put the bacteria from my mouth back in my mouth. 

Bacteria from your mouth, from toilet spray if you don't close it before flushing.  Possibly some small amount of mold and other gunky stuff that grows in warm, damp places.  Dunno, strikes me as icky never to change the brush head.

Toilet spray?  On my toothbrush?  I keep my toothbrush in my bedroom, and I brush my teeth in my bedroom too (I also have a glass for rinsing and a mug for spitting into in my room).  My toothbrush is never in the bathroom.  I also wash the brush head and handle in warm water to remove the built up gunk and then soak the brush head in bleach for a few hours several times a year, after which it's almost as sterile as when I bought it.  Between brushings, my toothbrush sits in the dry, filtered air of my bedroom.

My mum used to keep her toothbrush in the bathroom until I explained the concept of toilet spray to her, and now she keeps it in her bedroom.  She still keeps a glass in the bathroom for rinsing with and drinking from though, and she thinks it's ok because she turns it upside down when she's not using it.  She's a bit like that...