It's a bit of a stereotype, especially among Americans, that we Brits don't have fantastic teeth. I have to hold my hands up and say that I don't do a great deal to combat that stereotype, as mine are not great. I don't mean to say that they're blackened and falling out, but they're certainly not the (in my eyes rather unnatural) blinding white of the toothpaste commercials either. I'll be quite honest and say that what mostly keeps me spending a reasonable amount of time on an oral care routine these days is fear of pain, whether from toothache itself or the dental treatment that would follow. If only human teeth worked more like fingernails, we'd be a lot better off!

I don't like to skimp on my toothbrushes, though; it seems a false economy, like buying ultra-cheap glasses. So, what am I doing writing about Tesco Value's offering? Simple: I keep a pack of these things around at all times, just in case. I've had a brush snap in half on Christmas Eve before now, and also taken off on holiday to find on arrival in some faraway location that I had none with me (and no electricity for an automatic brush either!). So, a sealed pack of these brushes accompanies me just about everywhere I go; it's hardly much extra weight! And, being the forgetful type I am, I've had a fair amount of experience of actually having to use them.

I say "having" to use these brushes because, with the best will in the world, they're never going to make you enjoy your brushing. The plain white colouring is not a problem at all - I actually rather like that, as it looks clean and fresh - but they don't handle all that well. The handle feels quite flimsy, and while even quite vigorous brushing has never managed to break one it does make it a little more difficult than it should be to be accurate in getting to all those annoying corners at the back. The bristles are described as "medium", but I find them a little bit too soft, though admittedly I probably prefer a slightly tougher feel than do some people.

It would be hard to tell for certain how effective these brushes were without using them for the entire time between trips to the dentist, and I've never done that and don't intend to. As such, this has to be a layman's opinion rather than a professional's. It has to be said that my teeth don't feel quite as clean after even a thorough going-over with the Tesco Value brushes as they do with the Braun I tested against. It's not bad, but there's less of that slightly tingly feel (oh, you know what I mean) you get when your teeth have really been put through their paces. I also noticed the bristles becoming shabby and worn out very quickly; I really wouldn't want to use one for more than a fortnight at the outside.

It's very hard to argue all that much for this price, though: Tesco will let you have a pack of two of these brushes for a single ten-penny piece. Even by Tesco Value standards that's amazingly cheap. I don't think anyone would suggest that these things were as good as a better-quality manual brush, let alone a decent electric model, but they're surely a great deal better than not doing any brushing at all! As such, it's quite hard to decide how to rate this product. I can't recommend one of these as your main brush, but I can recommend it as a backup, whether for you or for any unexpected visitors. Two stars overall, but up it to three if it really will be just for emergencies. .