PANASONIC RECHARGEABLE IONIC TOOTHBRUSH EW-DE92 EDITOR’S RAVE
$209, from major electrical stores
Brush modes: Soft, Sensitive, White, Gum Care
DESIGN The slimmest and most compact of the three, this toothbrush fit comfortably in my small hand.
FEATURES It comes with three separate brush heads – one for regular brushing, one to clean your gums with and one to clean in-between teeth. A timer beeps every 30 seconds to signal that it’s time to move on to the next section, and double-beeps at two minutes, the recommended brush duration.
PERFORMANCE Its range of brush heads is all-encompassing. The one for regular brushing is tapered and lets me reach my back teeth easily. I used the round carbon-coated silicon one to brush my gums, and my mouth felt so refreshingly clean after. The third brush head, a pointed one, was most useful for cracking down on plaque twice a week. Overall, its vibration was the most gentle among the toothbrushes.
VERDICT Well-designed, simple to use, and gentle to teeth and gums.
SCORE 8.5/10
PHILIPS SONICARE DIAMONDCLEAN RECHARGEABLE TOOTHBRUSH
$319, from major electrical stores
Brush modes: Clean, Sensitive, Polish, White, Gum Care
DESIGN Just slightly thicker than the Panasonic, this one sat snugly in my hand. It’s the only one that comes with an additional USB charging case, which you can plug into your laptop or any power outlet – useful for travellers.
FEATURES This toothbrush has two brush heads, one for standard cleaning and the other - more compact - for harder-to-reach areas. Each of its five modes comes with a recommended brush time, and it turns itself off automatically when the time is up. It was inconvenient that I had to turn it on again to continue brushing.
PERFORMANCE Its diamond-shaped brush head is the slimmest and got into the corners at the back of my mouth best. Its vibration was a tad stronger than the Panasonic even on the Sensitive mode, but its soft bristles were gentle on teeth and gums.
VERDICT It’s travel-friendly and has the best reach, but has no extra brush heads for gum care and to clean in-between teeth.
SCORE 8/10
BRAUN-ORAL B TRIUMPH 5500 D34
$249, from major electrical stores
Brush modes: Daily Clean, Deep Clean, Sensitive, Whitening, Massage
DESIGN This toothbrush had the chunkiest handle, but it wasn’t too uncomfortable to grip.
FEATURES It comes with three interchangeable round brush heads with different bristle configurations – to brush, whiten and clean in-between teeth. You can even buy additional ones to clean your dental braces or freshen your tongue. Included is a rectangular monitor that you can mount to the wall at your basin. It syncs to the toothbrush, and shows icons of brush modes, brush duration, and a sad face when I was brushing too hard – interesting but not terribly useful. For each of the modes, the toothbrush beeps after two minutes of use.
PERFORMANCE The vibration from this toothbrush was the strongest, so the Sensitive mode was most comfortable for me. The round brush heads did not reach the back of the mouth as easily as the slim rectangular ones of the others, but its soft bristles cleaned equally well.
VERDICT Cleans well, with a more powerful action for those who like a more vigorous brush.
SCORE 8/10
This article was originally published in Simply Her February 2015.