£400 for a toothbrush!
I went to the dentist last week for my biannual check-up, something I only started doing when I went private a few years ago.
(This isn’t an apology because I should have done it a long time ago, but the reason I went private is because, having been dropped by my previous – NHS – practice after failing to visit them for five years, I found it impossible to register with another NHS dentist locally.)
On this occasion I was in-and-out quite quickly but I didn’t get off scot-free because I was given a bit of a telling off for allowing plaque to develop on my lower front teeth. I was also questioned about the type of toothbrush I was using and I had to admit that I was still using one of those battery-operated vibrating toothbrushes, not a proper electric toothbrush as instructed on my previous visit.
Fearful of being told off again when I go back for my next check up in December, I rushed home to look up ‘Best electric toothbrushes 2026’ on a well-known consumer website and top of the list was the Oral B iO Series 10, a steal (from John Lewis) at just £400.
£400 for a toothbrush? Are you serious?!
Fortunately there were cheaper options so I ended up buying another ‘Best Buy’ – the Philips Sonicare 5300 with ‘Next-Generation Sonicare technology … engineered for a superior gentle, yet effective clean’. Cost (via Amazon): £55.21, which was a good price because on the Philips’ website the company is charging £169.99.
That was a week ago and my new toothbrush was delivered the following day, but it’s still in its box because (a) I hate change, and (b) I rather like my Oral-B Pro-Clean Pulsar Battery-Powered Toothbrush (with Superior 5-Way Plaque Removal), and I love the price – £7.50 for two.
Also, I’m slightly intimated by a toothbrush that has both a pressure censor (to stop the user brushing too hard) and a timer (to ensure you brush your teeth for at least two minutes at a time).
Thankfully it has no smartphone connectivity, unlike some more expensive models. That £400 model, for example, ‘has smart functionality, with an interactive display on the brush and a companion app you can download to your phone’. According to Which?, ‘The app supports you through ‘AI-powered’ guided brushing. It’s also the only way to change the brushing intensity to a higher level’.
Smartphone connectivity? Interactive display and companion app? ‘AI-powered’ guided brushing? I want a toothbrush not a high tech gizmo in my mouth. Then again, I can’t help feeling that my teeth deserve better than a miserly skinflint who won’t pay a penny more than £56 for a toothbrush to keep them clean and plaque free.
Photo: iStock / ArtistGNDphotography
