No water? No toothpaste? No problem! (Fuzzybrush)

Member Name: sersha

Product:	Fuzzybrush
Date:	18/12/03 (400 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: no water, no toothpaste, lasting effects, convenient

Disadvantages: not easy to find in shops, disposal

Throw away your polo mints.
Chuck your chewing gum.
Who needs tic tacs, who needs smints?
A dental revolution has begun…


You know those new Wrigley's tongue-strippers, the sugar-free fresh breath strips that are being hailed as the way forward for fresh breath in a hurry? Well, I've decided that ten minutes of freshness isn't enough for me. You can forget your quick fixes and breathe on your colleagues not just after lunch but for the rest of the afternoon with full confidence: all you need is a fuzzybrush.

I'm quite picky about oral hygiene. OK, I'm verging on the obsessive-compulsive. I can actually feel the plaque molecules multiplying on my teeth after drinking a cup of tea. I can visualise the tartar building up after a light afternoon snack of 1000g of dairymilk. It spoils my afternoon when instead of concentrating on what I should be doing, that is reading some thrilling freaky book about cow pats and cosmic forces (I couldn't make it up if I tried), I find myself staring into space, thinking about the layer of fuzz I can feel building up on my teeth.

Long term this probably means I need a new job. Short term, that isn't possible, so I just escape to the bathroom and use a fuzzybrush. We have an awkward set-up at work meaning there is no place I can brush my teeth in privacy: literally no sink in a private place. There's not even anywhere I can conceivably walk to in my lunchbreak where I can find a private bathroom.

If I was slightly more obsessed, I might consider this grounds for going part time, so I could go home after lunch. But I'm not that bad, and yes, I am getting to the point, honest.

I found Fuzzybrushes in a motorway service station on a long road trip: I bought two from a vending machine at 50p each. They come in a small plastic spherical case, which contains an instruction leaflet (leaflet is a bit grand, scrap is more appropriate) and th
e fuzzybrush itself. It's about 2cm long, looks like a very mini toothbrush, and you pop it in your mouth and chew for about five minutes, or until your teeth feel clean. OK, 50p a shot isn't exactly cheap. But a fuzzybrush is much more effective than a simple breath-freshener: and I've yet to find gum that makes my teeth feel sparkly clean.

As you chew, the brush releases xylitol, a popular sweetner, thought to be the best sugar-substitute for reducing tooth decay. In case you were in any doubt, xylitol has official endorsements from six national dental associations. The taste is minty, just like toothpaste on a brush, which is in essence what this marvellous little invention is.

The fuzzybrush is composed of a 'brush' bit, with plastic bristles in varying sizes and a 'handle' bit which is attached to the brush at a right angle. You grip the handle bit between your teeth and then you can move it along a row of teeth letting the bristles clean in-between. It's like facial gymnastics, so maybe best not to do it while talking to someone.

The hardest part is getting rid of it. I find it best just to spit it out into a tissue (discreetly) and dispose of it in the bin.

No need for toothpaste. No need for water. Just a little plastic ball which fits easily into any pocket, and can be carried anywhere with you.
Just chew and spit. It doesn't leave any residue, and it does feel exactly like you have just cleaned your teeth, properly, with a toothbrush. Weird.

The downside to the fuzzybrush? They're not exactly packing the shelves with them at the supermarkets. They are not that easy to come by, unless you are specifically looking, for which I am dropping them a star. The easiest places to spot them are vending machines in hotels, service stations, cinemas and restaurants. You might even be given one on an aeroplane flight with your meal. I think they might take off in a big way.
<
br>Until then, you can always look at their website to find a local distributor, or even to become one.

www.fuzzybrush.com
Tel: 020 7692 4824
Fax: 020 7692 4825
Email: info@fuzzybrush.co.uk

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