I’m a proud dad of a 7 year old girl who now enjoys brushing her teeth, but it wasn’t always like this. As most parents know kids can be terrified of the dentist and most of the time can’t be bothered to brush their teeth properly. After all, there’s always something more fun to do.

As parents we need to do all we can to keep our children’s teeth in good condition. If we can help our children maintain healthy teeth free from excessive plague build up and cavities then visiting the dentist should no longer be a dreaded problem.

Help keep our Children’s Teeth and Gums Healthy

My daughter started to enjoy brushing her teeth properly when I introduced some fun into brushing time. The first thing I did was buy her a colourful and fun kids electric toothbrush which she enjoys using. This kind of toothbrush is more effective, easier to use and much more appealing to children.

I also purchased a good quality mouthwash for kids called “Listerine Smart Rinse” which comes in a couple of tasty flavours. This mouthwash is alcohol free so doesn’t have that strong burning sensation you get with some adult mouthwashes. It’s a great addition to your child’s brushing routine as it strengthens teeth far more than brushing alone and provides greater protection against cavities. But most importantly to kids, it looks cool and tastes nice.

Finally, educate your children about dental health through fun games. I found a fantastic website called “MouthPower” that is both educational on dental health and a super fun activity for children. The games on this website are highly supported by the California Dental Association Foundation and UnitedHealthcare Dental. My daughter has become a bit of a pro with these games now and is also a big fan of the interesting Dental museum website.

If you have an iPad you can find some really good children’s Dental Apps such as “KidsDental” by Orca Health.

In 2011 Oral B introduced their new Pro Expert Toothpaste to the consumer market, with the claim that this is the best toothpaste in the world. Recently, I have seen this Oral B toothpaste get some fresh attention in shops such as Asda and Boots. At over £3 for a standard sized tube I’ve decided to do some investigation on this toothpaste to see what all the fuss is about and to find out if it does in fact live up to the manufactures claim.

What’s so special about Oral B Pro Expert Toothpaste?

If you take a look at the range of toothpastes on the market today you will find that many are targeted to a specific task. There are toothpastes for improved whitening, some for cavity protection, others for sensitive teeth and better plaque removal.

Oral B’s new Pro Expert Toothpaste is an all in one toothpaste solution co-created by Dr Robert Gerlach who is a Global Dental Research Professor. The toothpaste was 15 years in the making with over 70 clinical and scientific studies performed on the product until it was finally ready to be launched.

Oral B Pro Expert is no ordinary toothpaste because it contains 2 super innovative ingredients – polyphosphate formula and a stannous fluoride complex. Without getting too technical, these combined ingredients are what makes this toothpaste so special and gives it the ability to cover the following 8 benefits.

1. Protection against cavities
2. Healthy gums
3. Reduced plaque
4. Reduced Sensitivity
5. Enamel protection
6. Avoid tartar formation
7. Increase teeth whitening
8. Fresh breath

Key Points of Oral B Pro Expert Toothpaste

• The only toothpaste to use combined polyphosphate and stannous fluoride complex
• 15 years to research and develop
• Over 70 scientific studies conducted
• This toothpaste has 30 patents
• Claimed to be the biggest breakthrough in oral health care since fluoride
• Reduced stains by up to 95% in two weeks
• Up to 71% fresher breath in 3 weeks compared to regular toothpaste
• Reduced tartar build up by up to 56%
• Over 3 months up to 54% less plague on teeth compared to other popular toothpaste brands

What Causes Bad Breath?

The smell from bad breath comes from gases released by bacteria in the mouth. An area such as the teeth, gums or tongue are all places where smell causing bacteria can thrive.

Foods and drinks we consume can also cause bad breath. I’m sure most people have heard of “union breath”. Strong foods such as unions, garlic or coffee can all have an impact on our breath.

Another not so common but very definite cause of bad breath is dry mouth. This is known as xerostomia and is a condition that reduces the flow of saliva.

Saliva regulates the build up of bacteria in our mouth and acts as a natural defence. When the flow of saliva is reduced it allows the bacteria to multiple and with this comes the release of smelly gases. Dry mouth (Xerostomia) can be brought on by some drugs or other medial conditions.

There are two types of bad breath, transient and persistent. Everyone has had transient bad breath at some point in their life as it’s quite unavoidable. Foods that have a strong smell to them such as onion or garlic can cause transient bad breath which naturally passes after some time. Brushing or chewing mint gum can speed up the process of clearing bad breath caused by foods.

Another common form of transient bad breath is the dreaded “morning breath” which can be particularly unpleasant upon waking. Bad breath in the in the morning after a long sleep is particularly prominent because the mouth does not get as much oxygen, bacteria levels increase and gases build up.

How to Test if you have Bad Breath

Transient bad breath is noting to worry about and is something that we all can get from time to time. However, persistent bad breath can be a real problem that has a negative impact on every day life. If you think you may have persistent bad breath there are a couple of things you can do to test for it.

Make sure that the inside of your wrist is free from any perfumes, after shaves or soupy smells. Then lick the inside of you wrist and have a sniff. If the smell is bad then it’s a sure sign that your breath is too.

Alternatively, you could ask a very trusted and close friend or family member. But be sure you choose someone that you trust to give an honest answer. This is probably one of the best ways to find out if you have persistent bad breath.

Persistent bad breath can also be a sign of other more serious oral health problems such as gum disease. If you are suspicions or worried that you may have persistent bad breath then it’s impotent that you get it check as soon as possible, just encase it’s a sign of something more serious brewing.

How to Get Rid of Bad Breath

As previously mentioned, the cause of bad breath comes from gases released from bacteria and/or old food debris in the mouth. Improving your brushing routine with a good quality electric toothbrush such as the Oral B Professional care 1000 is a great way to clear more of the small causing culprit’s, plaque bacteria and bits of food from the teeth and gums.

Use a good mouth was after brushing to enhance cleaning and the flushing away of food debris. A good mouthwash will also provide a fresh minty breath for a limited time.

Flossing is another good way to prevent bad breath as this will improve your oral hygiene and cleaning. Flossing can extra time that we don’t always have. Philips introduced a great flossing product to the market call the Philips Sonicare AirFloss HX8111/02 and uses a water jet for fast cleaning between teeth.

Be conscious of the kinds of foods you are eating and at what times of the day. Obviously you don’t want to eat a strong garlic rich meal for lunch followed by an important face to face meeting with someone.

Keep some sugar free chewing gum handy for those times of the day when you feel your breath may be starting to smell. The gum will stimulate saliva which will help neutralize and was away bacterial plus you will get the added benefit of menthol scent.

There are just general tips and ideas to prevent bad breath. If you feel you have persistent bad breath or any other oral health problem then please speak to your dentist for personal and professional advice.

Tooth sensitivity is a very common dental complaint that can affect anyone at any time. According to Colgate, a leading professional oral health brand estimates that over 70% of the adult population may experience tooth sensitivity.

What causes sensitive teeth?

The condition of sensitive teeth develops when the protective layer of tooth enamel wares away or cracks, exposing the dentine. The condition can also be caused by receding gums where the dentine becomes exposed because there is no protective tooth enamel below the gum line. The exposed dentine has thousands of microscopic hollow tubes or canals called tubules that lead directly to the centre of the tooth where the nerves are.

It is the exposed dentine that causes the pain associated with sensitive teeth (Dentine hypersensitivity) as hot or cold temperatures from consumed drinks, foods and air are able to travel down the tubules to stimulate the tooth nerves.

Why do some people have sensitive teeth?

There are many things that can lead to sensitive teeth. One that might surprise you is over brushing, or brushing too hard. Brushing your teeth with too much pressure can ware away the protective enamel and can also cause gums to recede. Both of these consequences can result in exposed dentine and pain.

At the other end of the scale, poor oral hygiene can lead to sensitive teeth for several reasons. Failure to brush your teeth properly can cause a build up of plaque on the surface of teeth. If the plaque is not brushed away it will become tartar and at this point will release acids that corrode tooth enamel. At the same time a build of plaque can lead to gum disease which will cause gums to separate from the tooth dentine.

Anything that can ware teeth enamel away will lead to sensitive teeth. Things such is applying too much pressure, poor oral hygiene, grinding teeth, sugary drinks and sweets are all common culprits.

Other things such as the over use of some teeth whitening products can also lead to dentine hypersensitivity.

Are there any good cures for sensitive teeth?

The first thing you can do is prevent the development of sensitive teeth by preventing the ware or damage to tooth enamel. One cause of enamel ware is down to brushing too hard. A good electric toothbrush with a pressure sensor would eliminate this problem.

As mentioned previously, another cause of sensitive teeth is gum disease. To prevent gum disease we need to ensure that our teeth are free from the built up of plaque. Again, using an electric toothbrush can clear more plaque compared to manual brushing. In fact, our best electric toothbrush, the Oral B triumph 5000 is proven to remove twice as much plaque.

Using an electric toothbrush can reduce the risk of developing sensitive teeth because of the built in pressure sensor, is more effective at plaque removal and also helps the user follow a good brushing routine with a built in timer and brush head renewal alert.

If you already happen to suffer from sensitive teeth then an electric toothbrush can still be of help. Many high quality electric toothbrushes such as an oral B triumph 4000 have a sensitive setting and brush heads that are specially designed for people with dentine hypersensitivity.

There are also good de sensitizing toothpastes on the market that are worth trying as people do report improvements from these.

If symptoms persist seek professional help from a dentist. They will be able to offer more effective treatments such as dental sealants, fluorides, potassium nitrate or oxalate which are not available as home treatments.

Dental plaque is a biofilm that forms on the surface of teeth through the build up of colonizing bacteria in the mouth. There are over 20,000 different species of bacteria in our mouths but only around 1,000 of these bacteria bond to become dental plaque. There is no way we that we can completely clear our mouths of plaque causing bacteria, but we can stop the build up before it becomes a problem, but more on that later.

At the beginning stages of plaque forming it is a soft, sticky film and quite easy to remove by brushing. However, after around 2 days the plaque begins to get harder and adheres more firmly to teeth. After around 10 days time if the plaque is not removed it becomes dental Calculus, more commonly know as tartar. It’s at this stage that problems arise as this hardened tartar is very difficult to clean from teeth, professional dental techniques will be required to remove it.

Why is dental plaque bad for our teeth?

There is a very negative consequence to allowing dental plaque to stay on teeth for a long period of time. I have detailed below three very unfavourable side effects caused by the failure to remove plaque effectively.

Tooth Decay

Saliva plays a natural and very important role in protecting our teeth against dental caries, also know as tooth decay. Saliva is an alkaline which acts to neutralise harmful tooth destroying acids in our mouth and also helps to wash away debris of food.

Dental plaque is made up of harmless microorganisms that are naturally found in our mouths. These microorganisms produce acids which cause tooth decay but in normal conditions our saliva offers protection to teeth by neutralizing the acid. However, if the plaque is not brushed away it will build up into a thick layer and microorganisms within the plaque that are closest to the surface of the tooth will convert to anaerobic respiration. At this stage the plaque will be producing teeth destroying acids but because it has now formed into a thick layer, saliva is not able to penetrate and neutralize the acids resulting in tooth decay.

Gum Disease

Periodontal disease, more commonly known as gum disease is the inflammation or infection of the gums. Gum disease is split into two types which are judged by level of severity. The first is gingivitis and is the milder form of gum disease. It is most commonly caused by plaque bacteria which causes inflammation of the gum.

The second type is the more serious condition which affects the gum that joins the tooth and is called periodontitis. This condition is caused by the worsening of gingivitis. In sever cases of periodontitis it can cause a gap to develop between the tooth and gum results in the tooth becoming loose and falling out.

Teeth Staining

If dental plaque builds up it will form a hardened layer of yellow coloured tartar on the surface of teeth. This tartar is not only an unsightly yellow colour itself but is more prone to staining and needs to be removed by a dental professional.

What’s the best way to remove plaque from teeth?

Most people believe that as we get older our teeth fall out naturally, when in fact the most common cause of tooth loss as we age is because of dental plaque.

Fortunately plaque is easy to remove in its early stage of development by simply brushing. As mentioned, plaque is a biofilm if bacteria that builds up on the surface of the tooth. Regular brushing will break up the soft biofilm and it will cease to build up and turn into tartar.

Using a regular toothbrush is effective at removing plaque but a good quality electric toothbrush like the Oral B triumph 5000 is clinically proven to remove twice as much. This Oral B triumph 5000 electric toothbrush also has a built in timer which ensures you follow the dentists recommended 2 minutes of brushing for maximum plaque removal.

Flossing is also a very good way to remove more plaque from around teeth. I know that flossing can be quite time consuming and boring which is why most people fail to do this. However, there is a very cool product from Philips called the Sonicare AirFloss HX8111/02 which effortlessly cleans between teeth with a powerful burst of water and air. You can even fill the Sonicare AirFloss with mouthwash for even better cleaning between teeth.

Finish off brushing by using a good mouthwash to kill off some of those plaque causing bacteria. This will not kill 100% of the bacteria in your mouth but it will reduce their numbers and slow down the build up of bacteria until your next brushing time.

Chewing sugar free gum between brushing is another great way to reduce the build up of plaque. Chewing gum stimulates your mouths natural defence – saliva. As previously mentioned our saliva neutralizes the harmful acids in our mouth and helps to clean teeth.

Finally, make sure to make regular visits to your dentist for check ups and professional advice.

Dental Plaque Identification at Home

I would just like to start off by saying that yellow coloured teeth do NOT mean unhealthy teeth. In fact, some research has concluded that yellow teeth are more resistant to decay that gleaming white teeth.

What are the causes of teeth staining? And more Importantly, how do we get rid of them?

Causes of teeth staining

There are two main types of teeth staining which are called “extrinsic staining” and “intrinsic staining”. The difference between the two is that extrinsic staining is on the surface of teeth while intrinsic staining refers to stains inside the structure of teeth.

There are many things that can cause staining of the teeth that most people are unaware of. There are some people who take matters into their own hands and adopted bad teeth cleaning practises in the hope of whitening their teeth but they can actually be doing more harm than good.

Most people believe that brushing immediately after eating is the best way to prevent stains from forming and I have also heard people advise others to do this, but sorry, this is one of the worst times you can choose to brush your teeth. After eating some acidic foods, for example fruits or juice it can weaken the tooth enamel. By brushing your teeth when the enamel is at it’s weakest you can brush the protective enamel away. It’s a good idea to brush before breakfast as your tooth enamel will be strong and coating your teeth in fluoride will help avoid dental corrosion. Leave it at least one hour after eating until you brush.

Before I talk about some of the things you can do to clear and avoid teeth of stains, I’m going to talk about causes.

Examples of things that cause extrinsic staining

• Build up of plaque from poor brushing routine
• Excessive exposure to Antibacterial chlorhexidine found in some mouthwashes
• Drinks such as red wine, coffee, tea, cranberry juice and fizzy soft drinks
• Foods such as some acidic fruits and vegetables
• Rich sauces such as curry and Soy Sauce
• Some sweets that have strong colouring
• Some antibiotics such as tetracycline

Note: Just because certain things such as coffee, red wine and fizzy drinks are more prone to cause staining, it does not mean you have to completely avoid them to keep your teeth white. As long as these things are consumed in moderation and you follow a good brushing routine you should not experience any problems. I personally enjoy a cup of coffee and manage to keep my teeth white because I have good oral hygiene.

Examples of things that cause intrinsic staining

• Excessive exposure to fluoride during tooth development
• Thinning of tooth enamel in old age

Examples of combined extrinsic and intrinsic

Smoking can cause both surface stains and deeper intrinsic staining within the structure of teeth
Bad tooth decay can cause surface stains and allow stains to penetrate into the to structure also causing intrinsic staining

The worst Culprits for Teeth Staining

Food: One of the biggest offenders that can cause staining of teeth is food and drinks. Red wine for example is notorious for its staining ability, even white wine promotes staining. Wine contains tannins and chromogens, is acidic and rich in colour ranking it among one of the worst teeth staining drinks. A dentist University in New York conducted a study that found teeth became significantly more stained by tea after being exposed to wine.

Just like wine, sugary fizzy drinks such as Cola are very rich in colour, chromogen and acidic. This is a potent teeth staining cocktail. Like the wine mentioned above, even light coloured soft drinks can promote staining because of their sugary and acidic properties. You may also be interested to know that I found information on a study that was carried out by Nutrition major in their bacteriology lab where they tested a variety of popular soft drinks such as Diet Coke, Fanta, Ginger Ale and regular Coke to find out which one faired the worst at causing tooth decay. They found that Regular Coke was the worst at causing bacteria growth in the mouth and concluded that Regular Coke would lead to tooth decay the quickest when compared to the others.

Dentists use Phosphoric acid to corrode tooth enamel for etching just before applying a composite white filling. This Phosphoric acid will cause erosion of tooth enamel, and guess what? Phosphoric acid is an ingredient in Coke and other fizzy, sugary drinks. So not only can fizzy drinks cause staining of teeth but they can seriously damage them too.

It’s ironic that we say people who like sweets have a “sweet tooth” when sweets themselves can cause problems with teeth such as cavities and staining. However, not all sweets cause staining, it’s sweets that are very rich in colour that are the offenders here. I think we have all seen a child with a blue or red tongue from eating sweets at some point. It’s these kind of strong coloured sweets that dentists say can cases staining.

Smoking: Bit of an obvious one, we all know how bad smoking is for our overall health and I’m sure most are well aware that this will cause staining of teeth. Before I talk about how smoking affects the colour of teeth, I want to take this opportunity to talk about other important oral problems that come from smoking.

Smoking is not only a sure way to get very stained teeth but to make things worse can also cause bad breath, bone loss, mouth sores, and reduced sense of taste and up to 4 x more likely to develop oral cancer. People who smoke have far more hardened dental plaque than non smokers. Tobacco contains substrates called cytotoxic that destroy our body’s cells and studies have also shown that smoking can lead to gum disease. Smoking also causes vasoconstriction which is the narrowing of blood vessels. This narrowing reduces circulation and has been shown to be reduced blood flow by up to 70% during smoking.

Genetics: Some people just have genetically darker coloured, yellow grey or off white teeth compared to others. They are not stained from food, smoking or poor oral hygiene, it’s just that some people have brighter or ticker tooth enamel then others.

Things like the amount of calcium in teeth can have an impact on their colour. The development stages of teeth as a child can effect their colour as an adult. Such things as over exposure to fluoride as a child can cause a condition called Dental fluorosis, which can results in mild to severe discoloration. The risk of overexposure to fluoride that leads to this Dental fluorosis is most likely between ages of 3 and 8 years.

Poor Oral hygiene: Poor oral hygiene can be a contributing factor to stained teeth, irregular and poor brushing technique can lead to discoloration. However, even people who follow a good brushing routine and care greatly for their teeth can have staining through some of the points mentioned above. Dentists recommend that we brush our teeth for at least two minutes and replace our brush every 3 months. It’s my guess that many people don’t follow these crucial recommendations.

How to Avoid and Clean Stained Teeth

Now that we have covered some common causes of teeth staining I’m going to give 3 tips on how to avoid and remove them.

Tip 1: Adopt a good brushing routine for improved stain removal and prevention.

Step 1: Rinse your mouth out with water before brushing to remove any chunks of food hiding between teeth before brushing.

Step 2: Use a good quality electric toothbrush such as an oral B Triumph 5000 as studies have shown that this toothbrush can remove twice as much plaque compared to manual brushing. This kind of toothbrush will ensure you get an even and thorough clean across all teeth and below the gum line. Another advantage of using this toothbrush is that it automatically tracks and alerts you after 3 months when it’s time to change brush heads, ensuring optimum brushing conductions are maintained at all times. Use EB18-4 3D White Oral B toothbrush heads which are specially designed to help remove stains.

Step 3: Use a good quality toothpaste such as Arm & Hammer Brilliant Sparkle which contains baking soda. This particular toothpaste has been shown to remove over 80% more plaque than a leading brand. Test and dentists conclude that backing soda found in this toothpaste has a bleaching effect that removes stains and whitens teeth.

Step 4: Finishing off your brushing routine by rinsing with a Tooth Whitening Mouthwash such as Listerine Total Care plus.
Don’t over do it when brushing! As I have already mentioned, intrinsic is staining which is within the structure of the tooth, brushing is not going to remove this kind of deep internal staining. You should seek advice from a dental profession if you have excessive or intrinsic staining that you wish to remove.

Tip 2: Chew sugar free gum during the day between brushing. It has been proven that chewing sugar free gum can reduce tooth decay. It does this because chewing gum stimulates the production of more saliva in the mouth. This extra saliva acts as a natural buffering agent which helps to wash teeth. The extra saliva also neutralizes harmful acid which is responsible for tooth decay. Chewing sugar free gum during the day between brushing can help keep your teeth clean and free from the build up of stains.

Tip 3: If you are fond of coffee, red wine or fizzy drinks it would be a good idea to cut back on these teeth staining culprits if you think you are drinking more than you should. By all means, enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning or a glass of red wine at night, but drinking coffee all day could lead to discolouring of teeth. Take note of how much of these stain promoting drinks you are consuming each day and look at where you could cut back.

The problem with this is that you will no doubt be familiar with both these brands and are aware that they are at the top of their game with their range of electrical products. You may even own a product manufactured by one of these brands already. As you have already probably gathered, Oral B and Philips are the market leads in the electric toothbrush industry. Now this poses a problem for the average person because there’s no obvious way of identifying which of these two brands manufacture the best electric toothbrush, which makes your purchasing decision difficult.

Both brands have an attractive and successful line of electric toothbrushes. Philips have a popular range of electric toothbrushes such as their Sonicare and Flexcare models. Similarly, Oral B have a popular range with models such as their Professional care and Premium Triumph models.

Electric toothbrushes are much more expensive compared to a regular disposable toothbrush. So you want to make sure that you are getting the best possible product for your money, whatever your budget.

So what Separates Oral B from Philips and Which is the Best?

Oral B and Philips are close competitors who have been battling it out for recognition as the best electric toothbrush brand. In the Oral B corner they have their top of the range Triumph models, and in the Philips corner they have their Sonicare range.

After doing a lot of research on both these models I conclude that Oral B’s Triumph range is the better of the two and declared the overall winner. Both of these brands have hundreds of positive customer feedback reviews and have very evenly match high ratings. Both of these brands top models, the Sonicare and Triumph each have an equal 4.5 out of a possible 5 star rating. Choosing a winner out of these two great products was not easy. Both the Oral B Triumph and Sonicare electric toothbrushes are exceptional products with advanced cleaning technology and they’re both the cream of the crop in the electric toothbrush market.

Why is the Oral B Triumph the Best Choice?

There are three main points that I have identified that make the Oral B Triumph slightly better than the Philips Sonicare toothbrush.

1) The Oral B Triumph is the only electric toothbrush to be approved and awarded the highest platinum award by the British dental health foundation. The BDHF also gave the other models in the Oral B range Gold and Silver awards. Unfortunately, no such awards have been given to the Philips Sonicare range.

2) In 2011 the Oral B Triumph and Philips Sonicare electric toothbrushes were put head to head in a competition by the Gadget show to find the top 5 best electric toothbrushes. Liz, the presenter of the Gadget Show was accompanied by a dentist professional to assist in the independent testing. 20 toothbrushes were selected for the test which covered the precision of each product, features, and most importantly which was the best at removing plaque. The Oral B Triumph beat the Philips Sonicare toothbrush to take the crown as the overall winner.

3) The Oral B range primarily use an oscillating toothbrush head design, where as the Philips range use more of the traditional shape you find in regular disposable toothbrushes. Evidence shows through several studies that the oscillating brush type is far better at removing plaque.

As previously mention, one of the main features that separate the Oral B electric toothbrush from the Philips models is the brush heads. Electric toothbrushes that use an oscillating head such as Oral B are more effective at removing plaque. Something that is also often overlooked is that this type of electric toothbrush is beneficial to people who have limited movement, such as disabled people or the elderly who find thorough cleaning with other types of brushes difficult.

The Oral B Triumph 5000 electric toothbrush also has a built in pressure sensor which alerts you if you are applying to much pressure during brushing. This is a great feature as using too much pressure when brushing can actual damage your teeth. Again, this is a feature only found on the Oral B Triumph model and not in the Philips Sonicare. The Oral B also has the “Smart Guide” that provide such information as Quadrant Prompting, Brushing Timer, Visual Pressure Alert and Replace Brush Head Indicator. Again, this is a feature that the Philips Sonicare can’t match.

However, there are a couple of nice features I found in the Philips Sonicare range which are not seen in the Oral B models. The Philips Sonicare HX6952/71 FlexCare electric toothbrush comes with a unique UV Sanitizer which thoroughly cleans the brush heads after each use. It uses the same UV cleaning technology that is used in hospitals. I also found that the Philips Sonicare toothbrushes are available in a 2 pack at a lower price than it would cost to buy the toothbrushes separately.

The Conclusion

When it comes to price, Oral B and Philips electric toothbrushes are quite evenly matched with both there lower priced toothbrushes and their top end models. I would say however, that Oral B currently have better promotional discount prices across their range, although this could change at any time.

In light of the three main points about the Oral B triumph range mentioned above, the Oral B electric toothbrush is the overall winner, only marginally though. The Philips Sonicare produces great results and has some great features too. But the Oral B triumph has more and after the head to head test conducted by the Gadget show, the Oral B Triumph is undeniably the better toothbrush for the money.

So what cheap electric toothbrush options are available?

Well, you will be pleased to know that there are quite a number of high quality electric toothbrushes out there from well known reputable brands such as Philips, Panasonic and Braun that are very well priced. We have listed below 2 top cheap electric toothbrush picks which are priced under £50 and are great quality products.

Braun Oral-B Professional Care 2000 2-Mode

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

At the time of writing this post the Braun Oral-B Professional Care 2000 electric toothbrush is priced at £44. The regular retail price for the product is around £80 so this is a high quality and fairly expensive toothbrush you are getting at an amazing price. The head of this brush is the oscillating type which in studies has been proven to be the best. Some of the feature includes 3D cleaning, 40,000 per minute pulsating, pressure sensor, interchangeable brush head, timer and more. Now this is a toothbrush that has many features found in some of the top of the range models, has high ratings from customers, is very well priced and to top it off has been given a “Gold” Award by the British Dental Health Foundation.

Braun Oral-B Vitality Precision Clean Rechargeable Toothbrush

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This is another electric toothbrush from Braun who is undoubtedly the leaders in the field when it comes to electric toothbrushes and dental health products. This is the Braun Oral-B Vitality Precision Clean which at the time of writing had a price tag of £19, down from £35. At this price the toothbrush is very basic but still does a good job without all the bells and whistles. If you are not sure about whether an electric toothbrush is right for you then this would be an ideal choice as an introduction. The brush Oscillates and rotates which as previously mentioned is the best type of brush. It has a handy 2 minute brushing timer and that’s about is as far as features. It still boasts the ability to remove twice as much plaque compared to manual brushing which makes it well worth the price.

New DiamondClean Brush Heads

This new electric toothbrush gets its name from the diamond shaped bristles of the toothbrush head which have been designed to offer better surface area coverage with gentle but effective removal of plaque. The brush heads of the DiamondClean have over 40% more bristles compared to the Philips Sonicare standard brush heads.

Reminder Bristles

Now this is a completely new feature that we have never seen before on an electric toothbrush. Philips have designed the bristles on the DiamondClean with a blue coloured band, as the brush is used the colour on the bristles fade. The colour on the bristles fade away over 3 months and acts as an indicator as to when the brush heads need to be replaced.

Charging Glass stand and USB Powered travel case

This new Philips Diamond Clean electric toothbrush comes with a glass which you can use for rinsing your mouth out with water or mouthwash after brushing. But the amazing thing about this glass is that it is also the charging stand for the toothbrush. After each use just place the toothbrush in the glass to charge it up. Not only does this make charging easy but it looks very stylish too.

Also included is a revolutionary USB travel case which looks very cool and also acts are a charger for the toothbrush. Not only can you use this case to take your toothbrush when you travel but the case is also a charger which can be plugged into any USB socked. Pretty cool!

Highlights for the New Diamond Clean Electric Toothbrush

• Best plaque removal of any brush in the Sonicare range
• Clinically proven to remove more plaque than manual brushing
• Clinically proven to improve gum health
• Clinically proven to whiten teeth x2 better than manual brushing
• Portable charging case with USB charging feature
• Innovative and Unique charging glass

This new Philips toothbrush has already gained hundreds of positive customer feedback reviews and high ratings. The thing that stood out with this toothbrush for us was how very stylish it is and up to date with technology. We like the way you can plug the toothbrush charging travel case into a USB socket on a laptop or netbook. The unique charging glass is also a great idea and looks really stylish in our bathroom.

Read Our Full Review on the Philips Diamond Clean Electric Toothbrush Here

Chris Davies at SlashGear.com gives a very good walk through of this toothbrush in the video below

If you think about it, adding mouthwash to your daily routine is one of the most positive habits one can begin doing. It helps cleanse your entire mouth, not to mention prevent cavities and periodontal diseases. It also helps to break down plaque and bacteria you might not have caught with your brush. This is essential if you want to keep your teeth as clean as possible.

Along with all those benefits, a great mouthwash will keep your breath fresh, so you are not constantly worried about how you smell during the day if you happen to breathe on someone. All the germs that can cause additional problems inside your mouth can be eliminated in no time as well. Yes, you have to also brush along with mouthwash, but using both techniques works best. Always rinse your mouth out and avoid swallowing the mouthwash though (common sense, but figured it should be said just in case).

So now you know that mouthwash is important for your oral health, but then you are probably overwhelmed by the amount of options available. Every mouthwash seems to hype a certain feature that will give you an extra benefit. This leaves you wondering which one works the best overall.

One of the top choices that is recommended by both actual users and doctors is Listerine Total Care. It has a ton of benefits that can be the difference between a perfect visit to the dentist and a cavity. Using it even just once a day in the morning can make you feel much better and healthier overall.

Listerine Total Care not only strengthens teeth and prevents cavities from forming, but it also restores your enamel. Along with helping your teeth out, it also does a great job eliminating bad breathe germs to give you a fresh breath. It’s really just a great way to give your mouth a solid cleaning rinse.

There are other mouthwashes that people have found success with, but few can deliver the type of benefits Listerine Total Care Fresh Mint can. If you are in need of a new mouthwash, or if you just want to start using, this is the option you want to consider. It will be hard to find a better overall mouthwash than this one.