Well not just a revolution, something like, 8,800 revolutions a minute plus various other tiny movements. The Oral B Triumph 5000 has arrived in my bathroom.
A toothbrush. So what? Well yes. It's hard to get too excited about a toothbrush, but this is no ordinary brush. This is the brush that I'm going to use to hold back time. Yes I am. The thing is, as you get older, it's your gums that let you down if you don't look after them. Eventually they become diseased and, crucially, stop holding your teeth in properly and, before you know it, you've got a one way ticket to Toothless Old Crone-ville. Either that or hideously expensive (and tiresome) dental treatment. I'm 46 and that seems to be well within the age where nothing health-wise (or anything else, for that matter) can be taken for granted. It's too late to regret the wasted opportunities but not too late to safeguard what's left for the future. Having negotiated the dental danger-zones of being a smoker and having pregnancies (not always at the same time) with all my own teeth - I'm very keen to keep it this way. Hence the toothbrush. What the blurb says
The Triumph 5000 is the only toothbrush with separate wireless Smart Guide which helps to promote optimised brushing performance. It uses the most advanced 3D technology.
It oscillates and rotates thousands of times every minute to break up plaque and sweep it away. Its clever wireless display gives you feedback as you brush so you can rest assured that you'll always give your teeth the best possible clean.
What you get in the box
The brush - looks pretty much like any other.
Charger - standard.
Holder for spare heads and charger - neat, will stop them getting lost/falling over annoyingly.
Three brush heads - with floss action, for polishing and for sensitive areas, useful if you bother swapping.
Travel holder - praise be, no longer will your brush set itself off in your washbag causing potential embarassment and a flat battery when you get there.
Smart guide.
Smart guide older and adhesive pad. To fix smart guide to the bathroom wall, obviosuly.
Setting it up
For a while I mutter about the "world's most complicated toothbrush" and question the necessity for setting hte time and "synchronising" the thing i use to brush my teeth. However, it's not as difficult as it seemed at first glance and it's up and running within about five minutes.
And?
The smart guide tells you how long you've been brushing for and gives you a smiley face and stars when you do it right. It also tells the time.
The brush itself has five modes: daily clean, deep clean, sensitive, whitening and massage. Pick a mode and brush away. The brush tells you when you've done a quarter of the brushing and it's time to move to the next quadrant of your mouth. Not that complicated.
What's good about it?
It makes your teeth feel really clean. Yes. Honestly, that just back from the dental hygienist feeling every day.
It gives you a warning if you brush too hard. It's important to keep your gums clean, but too much enthusiasm can damage them too.
The case/ holder/ Smart Guide are actually all really well designed and useful.
Battery life is good - a full fortnight before it needed charged.
The Smart Timer remembers the elapsed time for when you need to pause in your brushing. Surprisingly useful. I had no idea I got interruped in the bathroom so often.
What's less good?
Drool. Maybe it's just me, but properly cleaning my teeth for at least two whole minutes makes me incredibly dribbly.
It's slightly fiddly to set up.
It's possible the Smart Guide isn't really necessary...
And to go with it...
The recommended toothpaste is the Oral B Pro-Expert All Around Protection paste. The blurb says it's "the first and only toothpaste to combine two powerful ingredients together in one paste: stannous flouride and a polyphosphate system".
Obviously I've no idea what that means, but it makes my teeth feel very clean and smooth. They look clean and no one has complained that I have bad breath.
Would I recommend it?
Yes. Although at an RRP of £199.99 it might seem like a lot. My last Oral B electric toothbrush (no where near as fancy as this) lasted for more than six years. Also, if it helps keep the dental bills down, then it's an investment. Also, a quick google tells me that it's on sale at considerably less than the RRP in several places.
And finally...
This is an excellent toothbrush (if slightly fussy). I love how well it cleans my teeth and feel that using means I'm doing the most I can to protect my gums from the affects of disease (and age).
This post is an
entry for Mumsnet Blogger Network Challenge sponsored by Oral-B, promoting
healthy gums. Get tips and advice on www.oralb-loveyourgums.com
