Friday, May 25, 2007

Sonicare Elite vs. Rotadent


A few years ago, Doug's previous dentist suggested getting the Sonicare Elite toothbrush system. They offered a $10 coupon and we picked one up on the cheap at BJ's warehouse club. The first night we tried it, I was a bit alarmed at how strong it vibrated but the instructions said that you would get used to it. The most amazing thing was that afterwards, our teeth felt as clean as if we had just come from the dentist's office. In the beginning, the rechargeable battery lasted long enough for both of us to use it for about 5 days between charging. About 2 years later, we noticed that the battery life significantly decreased and moved it so that it sat in the charger all the time while not in use. Now, a year after that, it can only do one brushing before the low battery beeps at the end. Since the battery is integrated into the unit, it is not replaceable (just like the iPod). I like the toothbrush, but I'm not about to buy a whole new one! Three years is really not an acceptable lifetime for this class of product.


Recently, Doug changed to my local dentist and he claimed that the Sonicare was too harsh and actually harms gums. He recommended the Rotadent system. Now, I'm starting to believe that dentists simply recommend the product that they get the biggest kickback from. Now, we're back to using manual toothbrushes since we're not about to shell out another huge sum for another fancy toothbrush system. Anyone else have experience with the Rotadent?

2 comments :

Bigqueue said...

I am honestly beginning to believe that other than tearing at the flesh and creating bloody hamburger, there is little you can do to your gums that will do anything but help them.

I mean the idea is not just to keep them clean but to stimulate blood flow and "muscle" tone.

Saying that, I know I just don't do enough.

As for embedded batteries....I swore off them long ago. They are ALWAYS the reason a powered device is thrown away....this is actually one of the big issues I have with the iPod.

Ditto for cameras...in fact in that case, I go one step further....I want the battery to be "standard" so I can buy them in a local store.

Nice post....

Magic Dance said...

I have been using the same Rotadent for ten years. Every time I get my teeth cleaned, the technician raves about what good shape my teeth and gums are in. I do not have any connection to the company but I wish I did. It's been a great product. The only one I can think of that has been so dependable and proficient.