What To Look For
Look for toothbrushes with timers that beep, smaller heads and sonic technology. Teeth need to be brushed for at least two minutes, and a lot of brands come with timers that beep every 30 seconds, letting you know when it is time to move on to the next quadrant. It is better to go for smaller heads to get at harder-to-reach places. Also, sonic technology results in a more thorough cleaning, because with this technology, water and toothpaste are forced between the teeth.
Common Pitfalls
Rechargeable toothbrushes cost a lot more than traditional brushes. Rechargeable toothbrushes require an initial investment to purchase the rechargeable brush unit, followed by a continuous replacement of the heads every three months at a cost of $2 to $10 per head, which can be more than the price of an average manual toothbrush, which runs up to around $7.
Where To Buy
These brushes are sold at a wide variety of retailers as well as online. Retailers include drugstores such as Walgreen's and CVS, home stores such as Bed, Bath, and Beyond and some department stores such as Target and Walmart, Also, there is an exhaustive list of retailers that sell these online, including the manufacturer's websites, such as Oral-B and Sonicare, as well as online shopping malls, such as Amazon and Nextag. In addition, a lot of the larger retail chains sell these online.
Cost
The average price for a basic rechargeable toothbrush with sonic technology and a timer widely varies from around $20 to nearly $120, depending upon what features are included. For example, Arm and Hammer's Spinbrush Pro Clean Sonic Rechargeable Toothbrush costs around $30 and comes with a timer, slower massage setting and a replaceable head. Oral B Pulsonic costs around $70 and includes a timer and two speed settings and is slim and quiet. Philips Sonicare costs around $120, and in addition to all the aforementioned features, it includes a rechargeable battery with multiple voltages designed for travel and a teeth whitener mode.
