Confessions of a Toothbrush Abuser and the Toothbrush that Saved Me
This is hard for me to admit, but I'm going to come clean about it...I abuse my toothbrushes. It's true, every single toothbrush I use after three months looks like the Red Sea after Moses got through with it. Split down the middle. How do my brushes end up looking like this, well I chew on them, hold them between my teeth while I put on makeup and I brush too hard. No toothbrush stood a chance until Colgate 360 ActiFlex SonicPower Toothbrush.
I have never used an electric toothbrush before, the first time using it was a little strange. The vibration against my teeth was by no means unpleasant, but it took a couple of brushings to get used to it. After brushing, my teeth and moreover my mouth felt cleaner. I ran my tongue across my teeth; they were silky smooth like a just ran a buffer over them. The real challenge was would this toothbrush stand up to me, mutilator of toothbrushes? Why yes, yes it did. It may even change my wicked brushing ways. The first time I went to hold my toothbrush between my teeth so I could brush my hair, it sent an unpleasant buzzing sensation through my teeth and across my jaw. I found that whenever I applied too much pressure this is how the brush responded.
The toothbrush has other interesting features in addition to its SonicPower technology that takes the brushing experience to another level. The handle is wider than a regular toothbrush's and has a nice rubberized grip. The head of the brush pivots making cleaning the front, back and around each tooth a breeze. The backside of the toothbrush head has a cheek and tongue cleaner, which gently scrubs the inside of the mouth while brushing. All of these features lead to a unique and pleasant brushing experience.
There are a couple of cons that may or may not outweigh the benefits for users. First is the head of the toothbrush is, as far as I can tell, only available in one size, average which makes navigating a small mouth a little difficult. Second the battery is built into the handle of the brush so there is no way to replace it, if it dies before the three-month mark (the recommended amount of time to use a toothbrush for). The enclosed battery also adds a hiccup to disposing of the brush, since you are not supposed to throw out batteries, but find an appropriate recycling facility. It would be nice if the brush had replaceable heads and batteries to cut down on waste, but that would probably increase the cost of the brush and push it up into the regular electric toothbrush category.
The Colgate 360 ActiFlex SonicPower Toothbrush is currently available in green,
blue, and pink and retails for $5.99.