I have big front teeth which become really prominent when I smile – and do you know what? I love that. Yet for a part of my body that feels so central to my sense of self, my oral care routine still consists of a manual toothbrush and an evening floss. I’m dedicated to multi-step skincare but where’s the same effort when it comes to shifting coffee stains from my teeth?
As part of our partnership with Spotlight Oral Care, I signed myself up as an electric toothbrush newbie to try out the Sonic Toothbrush. I won’t give too much away yet, but for such a simple bathroom update, the difference in my teeth was noticeable immediately.
The Sonic Toothbrush has three different speed settings, including a whitening mode, which I was most excited to test out. I don’t suffer from sensitivity with my teeth but the toothbrush manual recommends using the gentle sensitive mode to massage your gums as well. I had no idea I should be doing this! Spotlight Oral Care was founded by dentists (and sisters) Dr Lisa and Dr Vanessa Creaven, so I’m taking note of all their expert tips.
With my Sonic Toothbrush unpacked from its travel case and fully charged, it was time for this manual brusher to step things up a notch…
Waking up bleary-eyed, I was ready to be snapped awake by the buzz of the brush. Although I’ve always been manual, my flatmate had an electric brush and it was so loud you could hear it start up every morning and night. The Sonic Toothbrush is not noisy at all, however. The sound is low enough that you can’t hear it if you stand outside the bathroom door (we conducted a very scientific test in my flat). That might seem a small thing but no one likes to be jolted awake by a deafening toothbrush…
I found it tricky to remember to tilt the toothbrush at 45 degrees against the gum line, as the manual instructed, and I kept falling into my usual routine of brushing up and down rather than letting the sonic technology do all the work. I’ll have to practise mindful brushing for a few days to get used to the slightly different method. I started my morning brush with the second setting – the clean mode – but gave the stronger whitening mode a go and much preferred that. I finished up with the gentle sensitive mode to massage my gums, a completely new experience for me.
Post-brushing, my teeth felt so smooth – a super clean feeling that I’ve never achieved with a regular toothbrush before. I can’t stop running my tongue over them! I’m excited to brush again tonight – I might even add an extra brush after lunch…
Spotlight Oral Care Spotlight Sonic Toothbrush, $, available at Spotlight Oral Care
Day two, and I still can’t get used to this deep-clean feeling – though I am getting the hang of the 45 degree brushing method now. I also realised that I definitely haven’t been brushing my teeth for the recommended two minutes with my manual toothbrush – clearly, counting in my head hasn’t been that effective.
Every 30 seconds the Sonic Toothbrush gently stops and restarts, letting you know to move the brush to another area of teeth. After two minutes are up, the toothbrush automatically stops. As mentioned before, I’m not a fan of aggressively noisy electric toothbrushes, so this gentle two-minute timer suits me when I’m half asleep in the morning or winding down for the night.
According to Spotlight Oral Care, the high-frequency movements of the brush ensure both toothpaste and oxygen get to even those hard-to-reach places in your mouth to help remove plaque and staining. It’s only been two days so I’m not expecting miracles, but combining this level of brushing with my now definitely two-minute routine, I’m looking forward to seeing results over time.
The Sonic Toothbrush is a big improvement on my usual oral care routine: I’m cleaning more thoroughly and I can actually feel the difference on my teeth. My breath seems fresher too, a win-win for everyone. It did take a few days to get used to keeping my mouth closed while brushing, though (my mirror is sporting some artistic toothpaste splatters!).
The brush was fully charged on day one and thanks to its long-life battery, I’m not worried about having to put it on charge every night. I’m going away this weekend so will just pop the brush in the compact travel case – much more hygienic than my usual habit of chucking the brush in with my toiletries at the last minute.
I’ve been checking out more of Spotlight Oral Care’s products online and am intrigued to try their Teeth Whitening Strips as I’ve never used whitening products before. Their entire range, from mouthwash to toothpaste, is palm oil-free, cruelty-free and toxin-free. Don’t mind me while I add a couple of things to my basket…
Want to improve your oral care routine with the Spotlight Oral Care Sonic Toothbrush? Enjoy 25% off all Spotlight Oral Care products on their site, with our Refinery29 offer code: REFINERY25
Spotlight Oral Care Spotlight Sonic Toothbrush, $, available at Spotlight Oral Care
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