Brush your teeth the high-tech way
Products jockey for a place in your mouth with a variety of gee-whiz features. Ultrasound, anyone?
While brushing their teeth, many people scrub too hard, damaging their gums. Or, they don't brush long enough, missing the nooks where cavities grow.
Enter the power toothbrush, which does all the work for you.
The Globe tested five of the top toothbrush brands - Waterpik, Ultreo, Philips Sonicare, Oral-B, and Cybersonic - to determine which performs the best. The devices, which range in price from $59.95 to $179, feature technologies ranging from rotating bristles like those used in the dentist's office to "harmonic resonance" and "ultrasound waves." Each is competing for a slice of the $5 billion toothbrush market.
None of the models the Globe tested has received - or even sought - the American Dental Association's Seal of Acceptance. Clifford Whall, who directs the program, said companies pulled out because the ADA requires specific scientific data and limits the claims they can make about their products - and their competition.
Each brand claims to be better than the next, sometimes to the objection of rivals. In fact, Oral-B's parent company, Procter & Gamble, is suing Ultreo over its advertising that claims its ultrasonic waves help the brush clean beyond its bristles.
Whall said, "There's nothing to show power brushes are better than manual."
They also can be an expensive habit, because as with razors or printers, the cost of replacement parts increases the overall expense. Brush head replacements can go for up to $20 a pop. The units also require electricity, an economic and environmental cost.
The biggest benefit of power brushes is that they can help users clean their teeth for two full minutes, which is what Whall calls a good guideline for proper dental care yet is longer than most people brush manually. All models tested remind users when to switch to a different section of the mouth. And they all left teeth feeling clean and smooth. So, the main difference we found was cost.
The Oral-B Triumph, which costs $149.99, spins its round head like those at a dentist's office. It also comes with a separate but redundant "SmartGuide" screen, which Oral-B spokeswoman Elizabeth Ming said helps brushers learn visually. It times the brushing, cues when to switch to a different area of the mouth, and beeps if the brusher bears down too hard. But the brush already marks 30-second intervals on its own and the screen's smiley face at the end seems condescending.
The Sonicare FlexCare boasts the most bells and whistles, and the biggest price tag at $179. The brush runs a standard two-minute cycle but can be set for shorter, longer, or a massage setting. Still, it is the trimmest model, which makes it good for travel. It also has the most intense, tickling vibrations. But the accompanying UV sanitizer to clean the brush heads seems an unnecessary expense since it doesn't save buyers from needing replacement heads every three months.
The Waterpik Sensonic Professional, which retails for $79, wins our vote for best value as it boasts few frills with just two settings but remains easy to use.
Or you could just save some cash, buy a two-minute egg timer and stick with the old-fashioned nylon-bristled brush. Just don't brush too hard, no matter which kind you use.
