 A biologist's opinion |
| Review Date: December 4, 2007 |
| Reviewer: a scientist, |
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. |
Use Hydrogen Peroxide Instead!
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| Review Date: June 25, 2008 |
| Reviewer: B. Gabriel, Marlborough, MA |
There is a much cheaper alternative to this product.
Go to the drug store and buy a quart bottle of hydrogen peroxide. It should cost about $.99. Then put your toothbrush in a glass filled half way with the hydrogen peroxide for about an hour or over night if you have the time. At the end of the hour you will have a disinfected toothbrush. You will notice that bubbles will form around the toothbrush as the hydrogen peroxide disinfects it.
I have read that hydrogen peroxide degrades in sunlight. That is why they put it in a dark colored bottle. I just leave my toothbrush in the hydrogen peroxide over night with the lights off. I try to flex the bristles a few times also to make sure it penetrates into the bristles. Remember, hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizer / bleach and is used to whiten teeth. I am not a rocket scientist but I do know that bacteria and viruses don't like the stuff at all. It is also used as a rocket fuel, so don't go mixing it with the chemicals from your son's chemistry set. :) Other than that, the use of hydrogen peroxide should be uneventful and will get the disinfecting job done at minimal cost. |
An Unnecessary Gadget
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| Review Date: November 23, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Martin A Hogan, San Francisco, CA. (Hercules) |
| Philips Sonicare sounds like a great idea - keeping your toothbrush free from germs on a daily basis. However, this can be done by simply dipping your toothbrush in a solution of hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol (however, rubbing alcohol does not taste good). In addition, this product only works with Sonicare and Oral-B brushes. Regular toothbrushes and other product names don't work with this machine. It's a clean looking machine, but for the money and the space on your bathroom counter, I'd don't think this is much more than a cool gadget. Besides, what do you do when the bulb burns out? |
Lightweight, easy to use, multi-brand friendly
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| Review Date: November 27, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Debbie Lee Wesselmann, the Lehigh Valley, PA |
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. |
ordering a new bulb
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| Review Date: November 13, 2008 |
| Reviewer: J Lee, |
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 simplest task. I looked on their website to order one, but it was nowhere to be found. I then sent an email to their customer support people and promptly got a reply with a phone number to call to order. After calling that number, I was put on hold for a while then told that I need to call the manufacturer directly to order a bulb. I called the new number and spoke to someone who also put me on hold. She said I selected the wrong option in the menu and needed to call back and select "other."
So after all this, I finally spoke to the right person who had me reinstall the bulb to make sure it wasn't working. She then got my contact info and shipped out the new bulb free of charge. Philips could have made the process less annoying, but hey, free bulb. |
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