Phillips Sonicare Electric Toothbrush

The verdict is in. I hate it. The Phillips Sonicare electric toothbrush is not for me. Maybe it has something to do with having had TMJ surgery. The vibrations felt from the stem of the brush on the opposing teeth when it accidentally touched them reminded me of those awful days. It also reminds me of being in the dentist chair. And as one dentist told me my mouth is no stranger to the dentist chair. After just two attempts at using the electric toothbrush I was having headaches and neck pain similar to how I felt before the surgery over forty years ago. So the last thing I wanted to do was even attempt to give it another try. I usually take aspirin before I go to the dentist because just having to keep my mouth open is hard on the jaw. So, in the end - after reading and researching about the pros and cons of using the electric toothbrush - I put it away. My husband isn’t going to use it and I know I never will again. I’ll just depend on my expert manual experience - two minutes, four quadrants, twice a day. 

Phillips Sonicare 4100 Protective Clean Electric Toothbrush

Things are pretty bad when getting an electric toothbrush is the most exciting thing to happen in a very long time. I’ve been studying the merits of having an electric toothbrush over a manual brush, then read about the top ten from several sources. It’s mind boggling to wade through all of the options. So I narrowed it down to oral B and Phillips Sonicare. The price range is also mind boggling - from very basic to gadgets that come with apps so you can track how well you clean your teeth over time. I have never owned an electric toothbrush - I suppose because my family never used them. I’m sure things have changed since the early days. I also asked our friend if they use and what kind and finally decided on a lower range Phillips Sonicare that does basic cleaning but also has a pressure sensor, 2 minute and 30 second timing beeps for each quadrant, and a low battery indicator. She used it three times a day and her husband, a dentist, used it twice. So for the first time last evening I tried an electric toothbrush and it felt weird. The sound reminded me of sitting in a dentist chair. Every time the stem of the brush accidentally rubbed on my teeth it felt awful - like a metallic noise. For someone who had TMJ surgery over forty years ago it brings back very bad memories. I was drooling all over the place. Maybe I need to start on the lower half first. The brush turns off at two minutes and it felt a lot quicker than it should. Supposedly the brush starts at a lower intensity and over two weeks works its way up to a “normal setting” so one can adjust to the whole experience. What is my verdict? I haven’t decided yet.