A worthy successor? (Colgate ActiBrush)

Member Name: grahamt

Product:	Colgate ActiBrush
Date:	17/05/08 (222 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An excellent brush head and replaceable battery power

Disadvantages: AAA batteries, which may not last as long

As you may have guessed from my previous reviews, now that I'm getting a bit long in the tooth, the incentive to look after what dental assets that remain increases. Sadly I inherited the duff tooth genes from my Mother rather than the better ones from my Father and so my teeth have been going through pretty much the same progression as hers. So far I have managed to hang on to them a bit longer although at least three are now crowned (didn't get 1500 Dooyoo miles each for them though!), with one more likely to be in the near future, following treatment for an abscess and root canal work.

Throughout most of my life I have, as most people do, used a traditional toothbrush and just your bog-standard toothpaste. Then, about six years ago I decided to see if an electric toothbrush would make any difference. The dentist I use recommended their use although that may be because he sells them in his surgery, though why he would expect me to pay his prices I can't imagine! He only sells Braun anyway.

The first one I bought was a Braun though, but I was less than impressed with the manufacturing quality. It was one of their rechargeables and when it gave up the ghost I replaced it with one of their battery ones, which proved little more reliable and a lot cheaper. That was then replaced by a Boots own brand battery toothbrush, which lasted me a while but ultimately also went to the great toothbrush graveyard.

Why battery? Well, rechargeables are OK but the biggest problem is that all of the ones I've seen have sealed in batteries. All rechargeable batteries have a finite life and when, as ultimately they do, the battery will no longer accept a charge, you are forced to throw the whole toothbrush away, even though the mechanicals still work just fine. I feel that this is just a scam, hence the battery versions that I now use. I use them with rechargeable batteries, which can simply be replaced when eventually they fail.

The last one I used was a Colgate Motion and at around £5 it was great value for money. I reviewed it last year. Sadly, I had to replace it recently. Mostly it was my own fault. I was trying to clean it thoroughly and eased the motor mechanism out of the casing so as to clean around the business end. Unfortunately I didn't realise that I hadn't inserted it fully back into the casing afterwards and so water leaked in around the seal, and into the electrics.

So, having been otherwise entirely satisfied with the Motion, I set out to replace it. No luck. No matter where I tried I couldn't find any retailer selling them. I don't know if Colgate have stopped making them but as I needed a new brush immediately I was forced to look for an alternative. The Motion is still shown on the Colgate website so its non-availability in practice is a bit of a mystery.

What I did see was another Colgate model, the ActiBrush. It was a couple of quid more expensive but still seemed good value. Not only that but it came with the ActiBrush head. The Motion comes with its own design of head but you cannot get replacements for it. Once it needs to be thrown away you have to replace the head with an ActiBrush one, which fits both models.

The ActiBrush handle is a little longer than the Motion but a bit slimmer. The reason why this should be is not obvious until you take off the cap covering the battery compartment. Whilst the Motion takes two AA batteries, the ActiBrush uses two AAA batteries. Obviously this means that batteries in the ActiBrush will not last as long as those in the Motion. If there is one thing against the ActiBrush, when compared with the Motion it is this.

As bought the ActiBrush comes supplied with two standard Energizer non-rechargeable alkaline batteries. These are still going strong but when they die I shall replace them with a couple of Uniross rechargeables that I bought for an MP3 player that I no longer use. I have already tested these in the ActiBrush and they work just fine.

Most of all, what I like about the ActiBrush is the brush head design. The head has two contra-rotating heads rather than the usual one that you find on most designs. The second brush is right at the tip of the head and is slightly smaller but with a bit longer bristles. This enables you to get right to the back of your teeth and into all the crevices in between. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't also floss or, as I do, use inter-dental brushes as well. The brush also works well in de-gunging the tongue and inner cheeks, where, you may be surprised to learn, most of the bugs that cause bad breath congregate. Brushing your teeth alone is not enough.

The brush head has a few slots on the back to allow any water to drain out and there is also, as there is on the Motion, a slot in the handle, just below where the head fits into the handle, for the same purpose. Colgate does recommend that after each use you should in any case separate the head and handle and wash out the connecting recesses. As long as you don't try and dismantle the handle as I did with the Motion, there should be no leaks. Colgate says that the brush is safe to use in the shower.

So far the ActiBrush seems to be proving to be a worthy successor to the Motion. It appears well constructed and effective in use but, as with all the rest, only time will tell.

Summary: A very good value-for-money electric toothbrush

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