Asking Santa for a whiter smile?

If you're looking to whiten and brighten your smile this holiday season, it might be as simple as buying a new toothbrush. I'm sure all of our dentists have encouraged us to switch to electronic toothbrushes, but did you know you can reap all the benefits of an expensive model for under six bucks? That's enough to make any recessionista, well, smile.

This little guy is terribly cute, yes, but also prone to leaving plaque behind... which is decidedly not cute.
[Photo source]


Colgate's new line of 360* toothbrushes retail for $3.29 to $5.99, making them the perfect last minute stocking stuffer. The line was specially designed to target hard to reach places and is proven to removed over 96% more bacteria than brushing alone, using a manual toothbrush. The brushes' tapered bristles are designed to reach all tooth surfaces; our teeth aren't flat, after all. They also feature gentle polishing cups which help to remove surface stains and brighten teeth. These help to offset all the merry coffee cocktails and red wine I plan to sip this season.

Each brush boasts a cheek and tongue cleaner, another new innovation, to eliminate bacteria. Did you know that 80% of the bacteria in your mouth are not on your teeth? That was your friendly (and slightly terrifying) reminder not to neglect the other parts of your mouth. Less bacteria means a more sparkly smile. And a more sparkly smile results in more time spent under the mistletoe. It's scientifically proven... sort of.


I had the opportunity to give Colgate's Actiflex Sonic Power toothbrush a whirl. The brush comes in three punchy colors (like nail polish, toothbrushes are a perfect, low commitment way to infuse a little color into my all-black-wardrobe life), and is the first powered toothbrush with a flexible bridge. The toothbrush easily flexed to reach the back of my mouth, along the sides of my teeth and other hard to reach places. As with other powered toothbrushes, the Actiflex Sonic Power toothbrush is more effective at removing plaque and eliminating stains, and is more gentle on gums than manual toothbrushes.

Having grown so accustomed to my own powered toothbrush, making the switch took a bit of getting used to, but I could definitely notice a difference in the range of motion the Actiflex achieves.

I loved the bright green color and found the built-in tongue and cheek cleaner to be especially clever. And at $5.99 a pop, who needs to wait for Santa? This is one holiday treat I think everyone should be giving themselves.