Don’t get a buzz from brushing your teeth? Clearly you are yet to try a sonic silicone toothbrush. Here’s how a new to the market model polishes your pegs in a whole new way…
Whether you’re a convert to a manual or an electric, we’re going to take you on an exciting oral hygiene ride right now. Heady thrills + dental health, if you will. Because there’s a toothbrush out there like no other, and it’s on standby to make your sink, smile and schedule extra sleek. Here’s the lowdown on the fundamentals of what a silicone electric toothbrush can do for your teeth vs. the competition, and why it’s particularly handy if you travel on the regular...
What is it?
The FOREO ISSA 2 : a sonic silicone electric toothbrush. So far, so futuristic. To break it down further, the toothbrush is made of soft, hygienic silicone combined with a PBT polymer, which join forces to give bacteria the brush off. You know your usual scrubby bristled brush head that hangs about the bathroom providing a party haven for bugs? This is the opposite of that. There’s nowhere for nasties to harbour, which is just as well given that the job of a toothbrush is to eliminate potentially problematic bacteria in the first place.
Alongside the impeccably clean credentials, the silicone and polymer bristles sweep away plaque while preserving gum health, something that can’t always be said of harsher brush heads. The brush head is flexible, so you can easily access nooks and crannies, and the entire toothbrush is waterproof and light to hold, which means that you can take it into the shower and on holiday without any technical malfunctions or bulky baggage limit issues. The real boon where portability and power is concerned, however, is the battery life. In a world of phones on the blink and lifeless laptops, the FOREO ISSA 2 lasts for an AN ENTIRE YEAR on a single charge. That’s 365 days of fresh, without having to conduct a forensic sweep of the house to locate charging paraphernalia. Speaking of which this swishy sonic brush is low maintenance on that front: it charges via a USB cable, so you can plug it into your phone charger or computer when it does need juice. Which obviously isn’t often. We do love a bit of tech that looks after itself. Amongst the shouty devices that are now essential to daily life, it fulfils its purpose without making a fuss. For that reason alone, it can stay, but it has other innovation going on too...
What does it do?
Vibrates at 11 000 pulsations per second, that’s what. If that sounds intense, it’s more of a micro buzz than an electric drill, shifting plaque from the surface of your teeth to leave them spotless and shiny. The toothbrush times each clean (two minutes is the sweet spot apparently), pulsing more dramatically at 30 second intervals to indicate that it’s time to move to another area of your mouth. It works at 16 speeds, the majority of which I’m yet to explore- if you like a bespoke brushing experience, it’s essentially your oral health butler. I can imagine that this would be particularly handy if you know you you need to take things gently in sensitive areas, or if you’re in need of a turbo polish to help to shift tea stains.
Who is it for?
Everyone and anyone, but the FOREO ISSA 2 comes into its own if you’re prone to forgetting to charge your devices, travel often or despise the constant faff and expense of replacing brush heads- each of these lasts for at least six months. Also, while it doesn’t compete with a professional scale and polish instantly, it’s a long term investment for healthier gums and brighter teeth- it manages to find a delicate middle ground between deft cleaning and damage-free polishing- it’s all too easy to go too gung-ho with regular manual and electric toothbrushes, and I for one can testify to the the gum recession and ‘ouch’ factor that results. This softer sonic option makes it virtually impossible to wear down teeth and gums by way of over brushing. The feel does take some getting used to (it kind of ‘glides’ over teeth), but once you’re on board with the buzz, silicone brushing will be second nature.
The verdict
The smooth, suave, spaceship of the toothbrush world- it’s clever and responsive, aesthetically slick (it’s available in four shades- mint, bold blue, black and a pearl pink,) and there’s nothing out there quite like it. Also, anything that cleans my teeth with aplomb for a year without beeping or nagging at me gets a warm welcome into my home. ISSA hit.
FOREO ISSA 2, £149, buy online
This review post was written in partnership with FOREO. All views are our own.