Sonicare Electric Toothbrush Best Deals on Sonicare Electric Toothbrush

I have a biology background and the good news is that this amount of UV light is going to have the desired effect on the bacteria that live in your toothbrush head. It will induce many double strand breaks in the bacterial DNA, making it hard or impossible for them to grow. It will have no lasting harmful effects on the brush because no chemicals/toxins are used. My understanding is that there is a shut-off to prevent humans from being exposed to the UV light, which is a good thing as UV light will interfere with human DNA in the same way that it damages bacterial DNA. However, I would like to point out a few things:

1, The detergent in your toothpaste (variously called sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, etc) will probably be effective enough at getting rid of bacteria — that’s why we use it.

2, The bacteria are already in your mouth anyway! How do you think your toothbrush head is getting contaminated in the first place?

3, People have survived very happily without wasting money on idiotic gadgets like this.

4, The bacteria that are NOT killed by this treatment are more likely to be mutated. It’s a biological fact that UV light increases the number of DNA mutations. While most bacteria will be killed, the 0.01% that survive are more likely to have suffered mutations. This is not true for cell-disruptive methods of destruction like bleach and detergent (including the detergent in your toothpaste).

To summarize, dentists use this sort of gizmo because they’re putting the same tools into the mouths of many different people. They don’t want to get sued, especially in light of reports suggesting that certain diseases may be passed through saliva. However, this gizmo is completely unnecessary if you do not share your brushheads with other people. In fact, it’s not even necessary if you share your brushheads with people you wouldn’t mind kissing…

Lastly, please bear in mind that not all bacteria are bad and that you actually need some to help you digest food properly. Also, good bacteria take up space and resources to keep bad bacteria from finding a niche. So, try NOT to use ‘antibacterial’ soap, do eat some live active yogurt after a course of antibiotics and always completely finish a course of antibiotics that you’ve been prescribed by a doctor.

The Sonicare UV Sanitizer uses a small but strong light bulb inside a chrome-painted plastic housing to kill electric toothbrush bacteria on a daily basis. All one needs to do is shake the water from the brush head, insert it into the capsule, close the door, and push a button. Ten minutes later, when the small green light stops blinking, the brush head is free of at least 90% of bacteria. (Don’t think about the other ten percent!) Does it work? Since I’m not a microbiologist, I can’t say for sure, but all the warnings that come with the box suggest that the light is powerful enough to do the necessary damage.

The Sanitizer comes with adaptors that accommodate brush heads of multiple brands of electric toothbrushes: Sonicare, Oral B, and Braun. Not only do the adaptors address difference in bottom connectors (round or rectangular), but they also adjust for differences in height to keep the bristles at the right level. Users can insert the larger Sonicare brush assembly or a much smaller Oral B brush or both at the same time. (See product picture for illustration.) Since I use an electric toothbrush only once a day and use a traditional brush at other times, I wish that the housing could fit regular brushes as well. That feature might make this product nearly perfect.

Unfortunately, the unit sterilizes only the brush heads and not the entire brush. This means that the interior needs to be cleaned at least once a week, if not more often, because of the saliva-and-water mix that drains from inside the brush and down its sides. The bottom tray and adaptors snap out fairly easily for cleaning; however, it would be nice if the entire interior compartment emerged germ-free.

Although the sanitizer comes with strict warnings about not touching the bulb, making it not appropriate for use in the bathrooms of young children, it does have the safety feature of shutting off if the door is opened during operation. The canceled operation won’t cool the bulb, but it will stop the UV radiation. The plastic bulb housing seems to protect the bulb adequately from all but the tiniest fingers. (I’m not even sure toddler fingers could get in, although kids have been known to defeat a host of safety devices.)

The unit is lightweight and compact enough to pack on a trip for those who travel with their electric toothbrushes and who don’t like the idea of invisible germs lurking in their bristles, even for a few days. All you’ll need is a standard outlet and a small flat surface to set it up.

I like the Sonicare UV Santizer for its easy of use. Maybe it’s giving me a false sense of security since I can’t tell whether it works or not, but ignorance can indeed be bliss.

4.0 out of 5 stars
Another winner from SONICARE
Once again, sonicare produces a superior product! In times like these, we all need a leg up on taking care of ourselves and staying healthy.

4.0 out of 5 stars
ordering a new bulb
First let me start off by saying that the product itself is fine. I don’t know if anyone else tried to order a new bulb from Philips, but let me tell you that it’s not the…

5.0 out of 5 stars
Philips Sonicare UV Sanitizer
Philips Sonicare UV Sanitizer
I like this alot. Would tell other people to buy one for there house too.

1.0 out of 5 stars
Are they kidding??? Big Business at work!!Don’t waste your money
Don’t believe what they say. This is just another way for Philips to make money off of us. First they buy the company and then they come out with a newer product.