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.
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.
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.
First, this is easy to set up once you survive the hardest part... getting the thing out of its people-proof clamshell. Be careful... it's easy to hurt yourself opening these things -- but this is a problem for a lot of products not just the sanitizer.
I visit my dentist regularly and change my toothbrush every six months. The dentist has never once expressed concerns about bacteria.
When I set this up, I looked at the getting started directions and it begins with removing the cover on the bulb and inserting it. Well, the bulb is already in there, so this could confuse people. It should have directions for changing the bulb, but not at the start of the booklet.
Anyway, any Sonicare toothbrush fits right in the sanitizer case. The kit includes some pads so other brands of toothbrushes can work with this. Unpack, plug in, put toothbrush in with brush facing middle, close door, and push button. That's all it takes -- so this earns points for simplicity. Plus this is sold separately so those who already have a Sonic toothbrush or other brand don't have to buy the double set with toothbrush and Sanitizer.
Second, is it effective at getting rid of bacteria. I'm not a scientist, so I can't be sure. But as one person pointed out, we've lived without a Sanitizer for years and have gotten along fine without it. However, I'm a freak about germs (not OCD, though) and there's something comforting knowing my toothbrush gets a dose of UVA.
This is wider than my toothbrush set which has a small charger and the toothbrush sits in it. Plus, this takes up another plug in the outlet. The toothbrush takes one outlet and this takes the other. This could be an issue if you regularly use other gadgets like shavers, hair dryers, curling irons.
I also did research on keeping toothbrushes clean. The results led me to products... not articles or studies. I did find one article at WikiHow that says getting your toothbrush clean just takes toothpaste (which cleans the brush, too), using water and rubbing the bristles before and after... nothing fancy -- everything you already have. - Sonicare Brush Heads - Oral Hygiene - Brush Heads - Electric Toothbrush'
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