Plain or fancy? Do any of the new whiz-bang features make brushing your teeth less of a chore?(User trial: toothbrushes)(Buyers Guide)

Publication: Choice (Chippendale, Australia)

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COPYRIGHT 2003 Australian Consumers' Association

IN A NUTSHELL

* You don't need to pay more for a brush with all the bells and whistle--some of the more popular toothbrushes in our trial were plain and simple, and there's no independent evidence yet any of the angles, curves or inlays are better for your teeth.

These days, a toothbrush isn't just a toothbrush--you'll almost find more bells and whistles on some toothbrushes than your car. But do they really make a difference to how easy it is to clean your teeth? And do they make them more comfortable to use?

We put our Home Testers to work on 36 toothbrushes to find out. The trial included toothbrushes with angled bristles, bristles of varied heights, extended tips where the end bristles are longer, brushes with a flexible neck and head, and toothbrushes with a rubber inlay in the handle.

The trialists rated how comfortable the handle, head and bristles were, the ease of access to the teeth, how easy it was to manoeuvre and the overall comfort.

THE VERDICT

Some 'designer' toothbrushes were found more comfortable, but not all. Two in particular, the REACH Squeeze, which has a squeezable handle that moves the head and neck, and the REACH Dual Effect, which has rubber bristles around the edge of the head to massage the gums, didn't impress the trialists much.

Trialists also preferred angled over straight bristles and liked bristles of varied heights and a flexible neck. These features aided comfort, accessibility and manoeuvrability.

The...

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