Toothbrushes galore!!!

[fightingspirit]

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Members don't see this ad.

So I went to Rite Aid to get a new toothbrush yesterday. There, I was struck by the number of toothbrushes they had. I was in a state of indecision. Not only are the brands numerous but there are many types (soft, regular, medium, full, +tongue cleaner, + extra brush head, +gum stimulator—whatever that means--electric, rechargeable, mobile brush tip, whitening….etc). all of them have shiny colorfull packages with some electric ones that have a try-me button. I thought to myself that as a future dentist, I need to be familiar with toothbrushes. Well, I actually spent about 20 minutes studying Rite Aid’s toothbrushes and in the end, I purchased 5 (one soft, one regular, one soft full, one regular full, and an electric rechargeable toothbrush). So I decided to start with the electric one. I have used it 3 times so far and here are my questions:

do you have a particular preference (soft, regular, full..?) and why?
do you really need to change your toothbrush every 3 months?
do you use an electric toothbrush and do you think that it is better than the classical toothbrush

finally, would you mind sharing the brand of your toothbrush

I’ll start with myself:

I am sporting an Oral-B CrossAction Power MAX model B1011….
(rechargeable)
what about you?

 

[3rdMolarRoller]

Sonicare Elite all the way. I also have the Oral-b professional but its too loud and rough.

But always go for the soft brush! Anything else is too hard and will tear up your gums. My wife, before we got married, always used medium brushes and has some major wear issues at her CEJ.

 

[fightingspirit]

Sonicare Elite all the way. I also have the Oral-b professional but its too loud and rough.

But always go for the soft brush! Anything else is too hard and will tear up your gums. My wife, before we got married, always used medium brushes and has some major wear issues at her CEJ.

thank you for the feedback.
evrybody seems to be using the sonicare. one suggested that a vendor would give me a good deal in d-school.

 

[3rdMolarRoller]

thank you for the feedback.
evrybody seems to be using the sonicare. one suggested that a vendor would give me a good deal in d-school.

Yeah you will get it for free. Oral-b also gave their's to us for free

 

[12YearOldKid]

This is one of the things I find people ask me the most when they find out I am in dental school. The commercials make it seem like we spend 4 years of school debating the merits of toothbrush design, dentifrice flavoring, and waxed vs. unwaxed floss.

The truth is that we spent about 1/2 hour lecture time in freshman year talking about this stuff. Other than that it hasn't been touched on except when one of the manufacturers hosts a lunch 'n shameless self promotion... errr.... I mean lunch 'n learn.
Not that I mind sitting through their commercial for free subs. 😀

To sum up what I have learned in dental school.

Toothbrushes: soft-bristles only, no real difference between electric and manual if you use it correctly

Toothpaste: it needs to have fluoride, the rest is all marketing and artificial flavoring

Floss: waxed, unwaxed, sewing thread. Just use something.

 

[mtheman]

This is one of the things I find people ask me the most when they find out I am in dental school. The commercials make it seem like we spend 4 years of school debating the merits of toothbrush design, dentifrice flavoring, and waxed vs. unwaxed floss.

The truth is that we spent about 1/2 hour lecture time in freshman year talking about this stuff. Other than that it hasn't been touched on except when one of the manufacturers hosts a lunch 'n shameless self promotion... errr.... I mean lunch 'n learn.
Not that I mind sitting through their commercial for free subs. 😀

To sum up what I have learned in dental school.

Toothbrushes: soft-bristles only, no real difference between electric and manual if you use it correctly

Toothpaste: it needs to have fluoride, the rest is all marketing and artificial flavoring

Floss: waxed, unwaxed, sewing thread. Just use something.

Well said. I must have 5 or 6 electrics and 20 or 30 manual all for free just for sitting through those damn luches with vendors!

 

[DrJeff]

What I tell patients, if they want to use a manual brush, and they want want something other than what we give out at cleaning visits, is that as long as it's soft, use what ever works in your hands. You'll hear some weird things though over the years about patients and tooth brushes. My favorite one is one patient in my practice (on a few psych meds of course 🙄 ) who swears that the reason why her teeth are stained heavily every 6 months is due to the dye on the Oral-B indicator toothbrushes we hand out. Granted her stain is brown/black not the blue of the indicator strip, and oh yes, she's a 2 pack a day smoker 🙄 🙄

We sell both the sonicare and oral-b at my office, offering both of them at our cost to our patients. Basically for the "average" brusher, the electrics will do alot better. Myself, I'm an oral - B professional fan. It just works for me in my hands.

 

[jk5177]

You know you can go on the crest webiste and get something like 72 toothbrushes for $15. No kidding. I got my set.

 

[Sk8aBull]

^ yeah, mine arrived today.

Comes out to 19 cents a brush... i got a box of the deep clean active clean ones to give out as part of the goody bags for our Pre-Dental banquet.


Oh yeah, when you order them they come with free toothpaste (box of 72 samples per 72 toothbrushes).

 

[Comet208]

We sell both the sonicare and oral-b at my office, offering both of them at our cost to our patients.

You "sell" at "your cost"? i dont get it. At my sister's office, they are sold for about $100/piece and the dentist gets to keep more than half. They somehow talk every patient into buying one. Hopefully you are not giving them away for free.

 

[ElDienteLoco]

You "sell" at "your cost"? i dont get it. At my sister's office, they are sold for about $100/piece and the dentist gets to keep more than half. They somehow talk every patient into buying one. Hopefully you are not giving them away for free.

Why not? You'll get a lot more business in return if your patients know that you are helping them to get one cheaper than at Costco. I think it is a great idea. I knew an orthodontist that included the Oral B (with the ortho heads) as part of their treatment...no extra charge. (At least that's what the marketing claims, but we all know better...his fees are just about $50 higher than they otherwise woud be) The buck always gets passed. Like when huge corporations get sued. The CEO doesn't pay it out of his take-home...you do as whatever you buy goes up by $.02.

 

[ElDienteLoco]

What I tell patients, if they want to use a manual brush, and they want want something other than what we give out at cleaning visits, is that as long as it's soft, use what ever works in your hands. You'll hear some weird things though over the years about patients and tooth brushes. My favorite one is one patient in my practice (on a few psych meds of course 🙄 ) who swears that the reason why her teeth are stained heavily every 6 months is due to the dye on the Oral-B indicator toothbrushes we hand out. Granted her stain is brown/black not the blue of the indicator strip, and oh yes, she's a 2 pack a day smoker 🙄 🙄

We sell both the sonicare and oral-b at my office, offering both of them at our cost to our patients. Basically for the "average" brusher, the electrics will do alot better. Myself, I'm an oral - B professional fan. It just works for me in my hands.

I know it's late and I've been studying Oral Surgery for too long, but that indicator strip stain story had me rolling on the floor. Gotta love the crazy ones.

We had a patient that was so convinced that her body would tell her what she needed that she would stand up beside the chair, close her eyes and ask herself a question like "Should Dr. So and So give me one carpule of anesthetic?" or "Is there toxic mercury under the crown on #19?" If she leaned forward, then the answer her body was giving her was a yes and if she leaned backward, it was a definite no. All I can say is that it is a good thing I was wearing a mask so she couldn't see the silent laugh on my face!

 

[DrJeff]

You "sell" at "your cost"? i dont get it. At my sister's office, they are sold for about $100/piece and the dentist gets to keep more than half. They somehow talk every patient into buying one. Hopefully you are not giving them away for free.

Pure and total 100% business strategy at work here. First off I want my patient's to have an electric brush, since in general the general public will have better oral hygiene with an electric vs. a manual brush, and many patients will shy away from extensive perio treatment if they get to that point. Poor perio patients will often opt for the extractions vs. the perio treatment and then subsequent restorative treatment(which is where I'll make more $$).

Secondly, I want my patients to see that Walmart sells the brush for $100 and I sell it for $55, subliminal message planted in their minds that when I propose a treatment plan to them that the final number they're hearing will not be padded/inflated (i.e. if he charges less than walmart for a brush, then the $900 he charges for a crown must also be a good deal). Simple logic, but you'd be suprised how much truth there is to it.

 

[Comet208]

Pure and total 100% business strategy at work here. First off I want my patient's to have an electric brush, since in general the general public will have better oral hygiene with an electric vs. a manual brush, and many patients will shy away from extensive perio treatment if they get to that point. Poor perio patients will often opt for the extractions vs. the perio treatment and then subsequent restorative treatment(which is where I'll make more $$).

Secondly, I want my patients to see that Walmart sells the brush for $100 and I sell it for $55, subliminal message planted in their minds that when I propose a treatment plan to them that the final number they're hearing will not be padded/inflated (i.e. if he charges less than walmart for a brush, then the $900 he charges for a crown must also be a good deal). Simple logic, but you'd be suprised how much truth there is to it.

Great marketing strategy there DrJeff. I thought you were giving them out for free - wich could also be of business strategy if given as gifts to patients who need extensive (expensive) work done.

 

[IlliniSam]

Sonicare Elite, but then I think the battery died. Tryin to get a new one since warranty is still good. My substitute is the toothbrush my dentist gave me the other day.

 

[jk5177]

^ yeah, mine arrived today.

Comes out to 19 cents a brush... i got a box of the deep clean active clean ones to give out as part of the goody bags for our Pre-Dental banquet.


Oh yeah, when you order them they come with free toothpaste (box of 72 samples per 72 toothbrushes).

Yeah, I was to lazy to include that in my post. By the way, anyone know of any other place to get free stuff galore for dental students. I don't think Colgate does something like this.

 

[jk5177]

Secondly, I want my patients to see that Walmart sells the brush for $100 and I sell it for $55, subliminal message planted in their minds that when I propose a treatment plan to them that the final number they're hearing will not be padded/inflated (i.e. if he charges less than walmart for a brush, then the $900 he charges for a crown must also be a good deal). Simple logic, but you'd be suprised how much truth there is to it.

I'm stealing that strategy from you. =) As a psych major myself, I think your rationale is very sound.

 

[jk5177]

I know it's late and I've been studying Oral Surgery for too long, but that indicator strip stain story had me rolling on the floor. Gotta love the crazy ones.

We had a patient that was so convinced that her body would tell her what she needed that she would stand up beside the chair, close her eyes and ask herself a question like "Should Dr. So and So give me one carpule of anesthetic?" or "Is there toxic mercury under the crown on #19?" If she leaned forward, then the answer her body was giving her was a yes and if she leaned backward, it was a definite no. All I can say is that it is a good thing I was wearing a mask so she couldn't see the silent laugh on my face!

lol. Funney isn't it? I guess people resort to superstition when making decisions.

Me on an exam: "If my body lean to the left, it's A. If my body lean to the front, it's B. If my body lean to the right, it's... etc. etc." If my body doesn't lean, oh **** I don't know what the answer is.
lol

 

[ItsGavinC]

I use an Oral-B stage 4 (pedo) toothbrush. It works great.

 

[DrJeff]

I'm stealing that strategy from you. =) As a psych major myself, I think your rationale is very sound.

You'll be amazed at how much psychology you use in practice day in and day out 😉

 

[edkNARF]

One of out professors told us that the most important when brushing your teeth is to make sure you do it for 2 minutes. Makings sure you spend an adequate time is much more important that if your toothbrush is electric or manual.

 

[edkNARF]

On a side note....

Once you get to dental school, companies will feed you lunch, and give you a free toothbrush just so you can listen to why they think their product is better then the competition. In fact, almost anybody will be willing to feed you as long as you will sit through an hour presentation on what they are trying to sell. I have sat through many presentations just for some free pizza.

 

[L8DYV]

What I tell patients, if they want to use a manual brush, and they want want something other than what we give out at cleaning visits, is that as long as it's soft, use what ever works in your hands. You'll hear some weird things though over the years about patients and tooth brushes. My favorite one is one patient in my practice (on a few psych meds of course 🙄 ) who swears that the reason why her teeth are stained heavily every 6 months is due to the dye on the Oral-B indicator toothbrushes we hand out. Granted her stain is brown/black not the blue of the indicator strip, and oh yes, she's a 2 pack a day smoker 🙄 🙄

We sell both the sonicare and oral-b at my office, offering both of them at our cost to our patients. Basically for the "average" brusher, the electrics will do alot better. Myself, I'm an oral - B professional fan. It just works for me in my hands.

lol

 

[lgreen_aci]

On a side note....

Once you get to dental school, companies will feed you lunch, and give you a free toothbrush just so you can listen to why they think their product is better then the competition. In fact, almost anybody will be willing to feed you as long as you will sit through an hour presentation on what they are trying to sell. I have sat through many presentations just for some free pizza.

Pizza and your christmas and birthday shopping done early!! That's worth an hour of my time. My poor family...

 

[mtheman]

Pizza and your christmas and birthday shopping done early!! That's worth an hour of my time. My poor family...

They will feed you better than you would normally eat too (cheap sandwiches and pizza) YUM!