Oral Hygiene Products
Early on in my vegan/plant based journey, I knew I wanted to use bamboo toothbrushes so I could compost them. I even did a blog post about my favorite brand which I still love and use many of their other products I have talked about before. I quickly found out that for whatever reason, bamboo toothbrushes only come with soft or extra soft bristles. I have always used medium bristles and after a dentists visit earlier in the year where we found I had a couple of cavities, the dentist recommended I get an electronic toothbrush. Now this was exactly what I was trying to avoid when it came to waste, with plastic toothbrush heads that just get thrown in the landfill. I mentioned that to my dental hygienist, and she thought there were eco-friendly toothbrush head replacements that would be a good swap out. After some research, I quickly found out about Plus Ultra and their amazing electric toothbrush head replacements are made of eco-friendly, biodegradable cornstarch. Just like a bamboo brush, once you take the bristles and metal from the head, you can compost the rest of the toothbrush head. It’s not 100% zero waste but is as close as I can get it right now and my teeth and gums don’t suffer. Since making the switch to using these heads and my Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush, my dentist visits have come up with zero issues! They also gave me the stamp of approval on my toothpowder recipe found here, just like my last dentist in Minnesota. It feels great knowing that my toothpowder is plastic free, cheap and easy to make, and actually works.
On another recommendation from my dentist and hygienist, I also got a water flosser since I have issues flossing with my small mouth and getting to the back teeth without a floss wand. Awhile back I invested in the DuraPik which I talk about here, and even though I like using it, there is something about the clean feeling I get from the water flosser that reminds me of the trips to the dentist. Below I will review the one I have and why I think everyone should get one. Even though it is made from plastic, it is rechargeable and comes with an extended warranty if needed. I finally came to terms with the fact that my oral care was more important than the potential plastic waste. I am confident I have found long lasting, quality products I plan on using for years to come.
Lastly, to go along with the new toothbrush, heads, and water flosser, I ended up getting the Germ Shield UV Toothbrush Sanitizer from TAO Clean. They are the same company I got my ONA Diamond Facial Brush and multi pack of brushes that I reviewed in my Face Cleansing Products and Tools blog post found here. It just made sense to get a toothbrush sanitizer with all we know about leaving your toothbrush exposed in our bathrooms, but I get into its other benefits below.
Before I could find an electric toothbrush to buy, I had to find the compostable heads first. Once I found Plus Ultra and found out they currently only have Philips Sonicare compatible heads, I knew what brand I was going to narrow it down to. I had a budget of under $100 and was looking for something with several positive customer reviews and features I couldn’t get from a standard toothbrush. I was also looking for something that was available to buy here in town to save on shipping and was lucky enough to find this one at Walmart for cheaper than the Philip’s website. It does come with one plastic head that I used first and worked fine, but after that I used the Plus Ultra heads moving forward. Not only does this say it holds a charge for 14 days and I swear it’s more like 30 days, but it comes with a hard travel case that holds the toothbrush and two heads. Those were factors in my decision to buy this one, but from a hygienic standpoint it only made sense to go with the 5100 series. Make sure you go to their website here to get the full spectrum of what it can do, but here are some of the top benefits to using this electric toothbrush. It helps break down plaque build-up, it’s gentle on sensitive areas, orthodontics & dental work like the fillings I have, you can choose between three modes which I like, and is supposed to improve gum health up to 100% over a manual toothbrush. I like the fact it uses sonic technology that pulses between your teeth to get everything that might be tucked in there. Then I use the water flosser and feel like I end up with the same all over clean I get from the dentist’s office. The three modes go with three different intensities, Clean, White, and Gum Care. Clean mode is standard for a deep cleaning. White is the perfect mode for removing surface stains. And Gum Care mode adds an extra minute of reduced-power brushing, so you can gently massage your gums. The two other modes are set with a two minute timer, the recommended time dentists say you should brush your teeth. I love this because I have no concept of time and hate trying to gauge how long two minutes is. It does give you a gentle pulse every time it wants you to switch areas in your mouth, if you want to brush each section in 30 second increments like they suggest. I found that too difficult for my brain to want to do, so I just make sure I get all four main areas of my mouth as equally as possible. It also will make a noise and pulse at you if you are pressing too hard on your teeth or gums. It does take some getting used to coming from a manual brush, but once you get used to it you won’t have any issues with that. There are other tech features with this smart toothbrush that you can experience with the original head they give you like telling you when it is time to switch the head, but I have found it doesn’t do that with the compostable heads. I am okay with that as long as it does all the main functions correctly, and it does perfectly. The brush will flash the battery icon when it is time to charge it. The charge takes no time at all to do, lasts forever in my opinion, and the travel case makes it so easy to take anywhere with you. Since it has space for two heads, you can always make sure you and your partner are taken care of no matter where you are. I love everything about this toothbrush and can’t believe I waited this long to make the switch to an electric toothbrush.
Thanks to my awesome dental hygienist for suggesting I look into an eco-friendly electric toothbrush head. Before our conversation, I never even thought that was an option. After a quick Google search, I found Plus Ultra and was pleased by the reviews, their commitment to sustainability, eco-conscious production practices, inclusivity, and philanthropy. They care about the planet and making sure they are using clean, high-quality materials to make products you can be proud using. With their 100% natural ingredients, no artificial dyes, no BPA, SLS, parabens, or neurotoxins used, being FDA certified, and Dentist Recommend, I’ll never use another replacement head again. Not only that, but I was able to compare this one to the original head that came with the toothbrush listed above, and they act exactly the same. I can feel good about my oral routine and the replacement heads I use. Even though they use soft bristles with these heads, the fact I am using it on the electric brush makes it more like medium bristles. The structure of the head and feel of the bristles alone made me a little surprised they were soft because they feel like medium. To round out the reasons why I use these heads, the company is female founded and made here in the USA.
I already used TAO Clean products thanks to the ONA Diamond Facial Brush I reviewed here, so it was a no brainer I buy their toothbrush sanitizer when it became available again after being out of stock. Did you know a typical toothbrush can contain 200,000 bacteria per square inch, especially when stored near an open toilet? When flushed, a toilet can spray bacteria and fecal matter up into the air, all over the surrounding surfaces. The idea of storing your toothbrush upright in the bathroom, no matter how close to the toilet grosses me out. Using the UV-C halo inside the Germ Shield, the brush gets sterilizes and is clinically proven to kill 99.9% of bacteria. It also acts as a shield against airborne bacteria by being locked inside the machine and I love that. It’s battery operated so I use my rechargeable AA batteries to keep it going and that makes it perfect to travel. It fits every toothbrush no matter the type, so you don’t have to worry about that. Each cleaning takes four minutes, and the blue indicator light switches off when it is over. I wouldn’t say I am a germaphobe, but I get great relief knowing my toothbrush is safe from bacteria anytime I am not using it.
I chose this one after a very long search on Google and Amazon to compare a variety of water flossers based off similar requirements as I listed for the toothbrush. The only difference was I didn’t want to spend more than $40 on this if possible. It seemed reasonable based off what I found in comparison shopping. I landed on ATMOKO because of the positive reviews, its 4 hours of charging for its 30 days of using time, it being waterproof for times I want to use it in the shower, and it comes with eight multifunctional jet tips. Four classic jet tips for different users. They are supposed to be four different colors, but I got two pink and two white. I’s okay though since it is just me using this. One splash-proof nozzle to prevent water from splashing out of your mouth. I like this one, especially at first until you get used to using this. You will spray water everywhere and I found this tip the easiest to keep that from happening. One orthodontic tip to remove food debris from braces (if needed). One periodontal tip to rinse and massage deep below the gum line. Finally, one tongue cleaner to clean off any coating and bacteria on your tongue. I forget to use this one because I have the tongue scraper I mention here, but I need to use this more often. You can easily fill the bottom but twisting off the top or using the handy close flap door on the backside. I like using the soft mode because I find the normal mode to be too intense for me. The pulse mode is nice once in a while to massage my gums, but I don’t do it often. I keep my finger on the power button so I can easily turn it on and off as needed. I prefer to not swallow the sink water here in Vegas, so I will wait till my mouth is full of water, swoosh the water for a second to rinse my mouth then spit it out. I will do this until all the water is gone and the machine lets you know you are done. It will start to sound different as you run out of water. There are marks on the side, so you know how full to fill the bottom, so it doesn’t overflow. I honestly feel like I am fresh out of the dentist minus the metal tools and scraping and it feels amazing. Despite using some plastic items for my oral hygiene routine, I am confident in the brands I use and stand behind them.
I hope you found this helpful and at the very least gives you options to think about if you ever switch up your oral hygiene routine. Let me know in the comments below if you use any of these products or if you use floss and a manual toothbrush. Would you ever switch to electric versions? I’d love to hear what you say!
Thanks for reading,
Jessica
