A lot of opinions and ideas on electric toothbrushes seem to place the emphasis on laziness but it ain’t necessarily so! I had trouble brushing my teeth manually for a long time due to an illness which effects my muscles and joints and my teeth suffered for it resulting in several extractions.

My dentist and well-meaning friends all suggested an electric toothbrush for easier, thorough cleansing. I dropped hints and lo and behold for my birthday last year I was presented with a zingy Colgate Actibrush! A true Godsend for me!

The one I was given is a flashy little number in lime green and orange decorated with musical notes and piano keys! I don’t know if this was a limited edition as such but I have seen other flashy designs available as well as plainer ones. They all seem to retail for an average price of about £9.99 with spare heads available in double packs for about £6 (why can’t we get spare heads for people so easily?!!)

It is battery operated (2 A1 batteries) and vibrates with a vengeance as the head rotates with fury – the head is small and round featuring different length bristles to reach into every nook and cranny in your mouth efficiently. At first I found the toothbrush quite heavy and awkward and had to resist the urge to brush in the normal manual way with it. It can also be very messy due to its speed, close your lips around it when in use or you could end up with a toothpaste splattered bathroom!

Once you have the hang of using it, it ensures a quick and through clean as good as any manual brushing but without the effort. You simply place the head in contact with your teeth firmly, but without splaying the bristles, and let it do it’s stuff gradually moving the brush over each tooth in turn – back, front and underside of course. You’ll find your teeth feel smooth, clean and fresh after use.

I got this brush in November last year and the first set of batteries
are still going strong and the head only just needs to seem replacing so it seems like a very economical and helpful investment as well as being very efficient.

Widely available from shops such as Boots the Chemists, Superdrug, Tescos, Sainsburys and such like don’t view it as succumbing to laziness – view it as a wise investment in dental health.