The little vibrating device that failed to get me buzzing with delight (Braun Oral-B Hummingbird)

Member Name: koshkha

Product:	Braun Oral-B Hummingbird
Date:	16/09/06 (1939 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: If you don't floss now, this might help get you started

Disadvantages: If you can already floss well, save your money.

My sad pathetic flossing history
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I have teeth that are exceptionally close together - you could say that my dainty little mouth just isn't big enough for all the teeth inside. For years dentists nagged me to floss but, being young and foolish I swore blind I would, bought another load of floss and then within a week went back to my slovenly ways.

I had tried all sorts of things - regular floss, waxed floss, tape, expanding tape (don't ask but it doesn't work), little flossy things on sticks that keep your fingers out of the business end. If there was a product for flossing, I'd tried it. And I hated them all. However, I'm now a reformed character - inspired by finding a good dental practice and by 3 monthly visits to the hygienist. However, my Damascene conversion was not due to the Hummingbird but to Oral B Satin Floss.

Who likes flossing?
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Let's face it - flossing isn't fun. It hurts, it's fiddly and sometimes it's a bit smelly too if you get old scummy plaque on your fingers. So anything that's going to make flossing more enjoyable or more effective must be good. Right? Well that's true but the Hummingbird sadly didn't do it for me.

Electricity = Better?
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I'm a dedicated electric tooth brush user - I've had loads, all Oral B and I can't fault them. So seeing that Oral B had a buzzing flosser I gave it a go.

Price
*****
You can find them in Boots or Superdrug as well as many of the supermarkets. I bought mine in Boots when they were first launched and were typically selling for between £4.99 and £5.99. I actually went shopping that day just to look for these - having seen an ad in a magazine.

The introductory pack comes with the Hummingbird and a few floss heads and picks - but less than a week's worth. So probably in your enthusiasm to change your life and save your teeth, you'll buy a box of extra heads or picks at around £2.50 a pack. £2.50 will buy you a fortnight's worth of floss heads or nearly a month's of picks.

So at £8-10 down, you leave the shop with dreams of a plaque free future.

How does the Hummingbird work?
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You wedge a little floss head onto the bird, push the button and for as long as you are holding the button down, the head vibrates helping to remove all the nasty stuff between your teeth. Alternatively, you put in a soft plastic pick and do it that way.

The problem
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The Hummingbird just doesn't work for me for a number of reasons

1. The floss is unwaxed and with my teeth it gets stuck. This leaves me standing in front of the mirror with a lump of plastic hanging off my teeth, wrestling to get it out of my mouth without pulling my teeth out with it.

2. Gagging - I really don't like stuffing this thing into my mouth - it makes me want to gag.

3. Finger fatigue - It's quite fiddly to keep your finger on the button as you manipulate the device

4. The floss is too narrow - I generally use tape rather than floss and found the Hummingbird floss too sharp and harsh on my gums. As a result it caused a lot more bleeding than manual flossing.

5. Slow, slow, slow - I can whizz round my mouth with regular floss tape in under a minute. With the Hummingbird it was taking a really long time to get round the whole mouth - even without the wrestling time.

6. So expensive - a 25m pack of waxed tape will last me a couple of months when used once a day. That costs the same as just 15 floss heads for the Hummingbird which will only last for 2 weeks.

Recommendation
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If you don't floss and buying one of these makes it more fun and gets you flossing then that's great - give it a go. But if you are already an experienced and competent flosser, you probably won't benefit from the extra expense.

However, just because it doesn't work for me I'm not going to say 'don't buy it' because that wouldn't be fair - I'd just say 'take it easy and don't buy too many refills before you know you can use it' and if you love it, give me a shout - I've got a spare box of refills that aren't going anywhere soon!

Summary: A cute little gadget that didn't deliver on its promises - at least not for me.

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