The white stuff

For a beautiful smile you need great teeth; no amount of lipstick can save a smile chock full of yellow chompers. We try out an electric toothbrush embedded with microchips for a very hi-tech dental experience indeed.

Forget Bluetooth, it's white tooth we want. This toothbrush seems like something out of the latest sci-fi movie with its wireless interactive display that you mount on your bathroom mirror, but it's not Knight Rider 2000, it's the Oral-B Triumph with SmartGuide power toothbrush. 

The rotating technology surrounds your teeth individually, for twice as much plaque removal than a manual toothbrush, with 40,000 in-and-out pulsations per minute to gently loosen plaque, and 8,800 back and forth oscillations per minute to sweep plaque away.

NZ dentist Dr Hisham Abdalla, from Auckland’s Laser Lifecare Institute, says "It’s important to stick to the two minutes because on average we have 28 (maximum 32) teeth.

Each tooth has four surfaces that become coated with a sticky plaque biofilm. Biofilm is a sticky layer of bacteria and food debris that also builds up on the tongue, gum and cheeks.”

We choose the "ProBright" brush head with a yellow centre that polishes teeth to whiten teeth but there are a choice of three brush heads including FlossAction and Sensitive.

What we liked:
The wireless display told me how long I was taking to brush my teeth. I was appalled at how quickly I was brushing; what felt like an eternity was probably under a minute and they recommend a full two minutes. The display guides you around your mouth - I know, you thought you knew the inside of your mouth like the back of your hand until now - quarter by quarter. It let me know when I was brushing too hard with a signal showing I had too much pressure. The toothbrush helpfully came with coloured bands so we have pink for girls, blue for boys, to easily distinguish who's whose. It will also let you know when the brush head is due to be replaced.

What not to do:
Don't, like the novice that I am, switch it on with toothpaste on, outside of your mouth, and have it spray stuff all over the bathroom mirror and yourself! Wait til it's in your mouth before hitting the gas.

And at the end of your two minutes, I like that it rewards you with a smiley face on the display.

The Oral-B Triumph with SmartGuide is available for RRP $209.99. For stockists phone 0800 441 058.



Want whiter teeth?
PureWhite is the first teeth whitening system in New Zealand in a gel strip, at a very affordable price of $65.00 from pharmacies, dentists and appearance medicine clinics. The strips are coated in hydrogen peroxide to whiten teeth. Place strips on your upper and lower teeth twice a day for half an hour and peel them off, with results seen in 48 hours. The box contains 40 strips to use for ten days and lasts for up to 18 months.

Now, with brushing longer and whiter teeth, I know I'm on track to a better looking mouth. All the better reason to smile - and to buy a new red lipstick.