Oral Care + Hygiene

I don't see a lot of these posts, maybe I'm not looking but hey if I can talk about intimate hygiene why not oral. I've been testing out a few toothpastes and a brand new toothbrush! Since going electric about three years ago, I've become a toothbrush snob, yeah I said it, a toothbrush snob. If there's anything I would change about my teeth, would be for a Hollywood smile, there's a slight overbite, I had braces and well didn't wear my retainer, so serve me right but of course other things like plaque, bleeding gums, sensitive, whitening of the teeth can be something that is prevented or helped along at home because you & I both know, you don't want to visit that Dentist, one time I visited a Dentist I thought he was going to put a needle in my mouth and I hit his arm away, mm yeah, he wasn't amused. He was only going to seal something lol. We jut don't like Dentists!! The more I can prevent the more stickers and lollipops I want to walk away with!

Flossing

The step that is left out? I don't know what people are doing in the bathroom, I personally feel maybe people don't floss a lot. I've got more into flossing the last 5 years. My chosen flossing tape is 'Oral-B Satin Tape'. Remembering to floss before brushing is important, gets rid of whatever the brush can't reach.

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Toothbrushes

The toothbrush I have been using up until the Colgate ProClinical A1500* was the Oral-B Professional Care 1000 now I must admit, I'm a bit of an over brusher, not until I'm Bleeding Gums Murphy but my teeth really need to feel clean and smooth. this toothbrush gave me life, why did I never do this sooner, going back to a regular toothbrush always feels weird and as if I'm not getting the best of my teeth cleaning - ah the laziness shines through again. This was my first electric toothbrush and I love her, the different heads available and the teeth feel that much cleaner because the bristles rotate and give a little vibration when cleaning, so yeah ideal for the lazy brushes because besides moving my hand, there's not much work to it. The only thing is, it works on one speed, it is meant to have a 2 minute timer but mine seems to not co-operate so I can brush until my hearts content but if you are using too much pressure on your teeth and gums it will flash to let warn you, your brushing too hard.

Hop, skip over to my new toy, Colgate ProClinical A1500*. All my manual brushes have been Colgate, majority of my toothpastes were Colgate & mouthwashes, it's just that brand that's worldwide & mostly comes to our heads when we think oral care. I was really excited to try this one out because of the claims it makes, I wanted to see how to a degree it compares to my existing electric toothbrush.
Inside the box: The brush comes with a charger and a travel case
Here's the low-down on this toothbrush.

• First brush to adjust to your teeth and gums
• 1 automatic mode
• 2 manual modes
• 2 minute timer

When I first looked at the brush head, small came to mind. It was that adjustment and the sonic wave cleaning that I had to get use to, I think I will try other heads to see what works best for me. Having very sensitive teeth, the first time I used the brush, my bottom front teeth hurt so much, I winced at the pain of the vibrations going through my teeth. It's been three weeks nearly and my teeth have got use to the new sensations.

Auto mode : The brush will sense what setting your brush needs to be on by the position you hold the brush, now that is quite clever. I did notice that sometimes it didn't do it and sometimes it did, now I'm not sure if that was due to my hand positioning. The brush will pause every 30 seconds, giving me the indication I need to now move onto the next section of my mouth.

• Slower - movement side to side, gently cleans the tooth surface
• Mid Speed - up/down, sude to side, strokes clean teeth and gums, helps remove plaque where it builds up most, the gum line
• Faster up-down strokes that clean deeply behind and between teeth & molars

Manual mode : Can be selected if you want to have the choice of free range of what speed you want on your toothbrush.

• Optimum - mid speed
• Deep Clean - fast speed

I prefer to use auto more often as it gives my teeth a good clean where needed, sometimes I will put it onto deep clean if I feel it's needed to be cleaned more thoroughly.

Comparisons cannot be made between the two brushes, they may both be electric but one significantly gives you a lot more choice and options. I'm certainly purchasing additional heads for the ProClinical A1500, honestly I'm still adjusting to the head, I do get a nice clean but with a different brush, I will benefit a lot more. The originally RRP is £169.99, could I justify paying that much for a toothbrush, it's expensive if it's looked at as more of an investment to prevent future dental problems & dentist costs then it's worthwhile. My advice is, if your looking for a new brush and are comfortable with sonic cleaning, catch it now while it has it's introductory offer. Otherwise I wouldn't invest if you prefer a rotating brush head.

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Toothpastes

A past smoker and teeth staining foods, really did leave a little marking on me but I started to use BlanX, I began to notice the difference in my teeth colouring, they started to get brighter so I continued to purchase it one tube can last me appox 6-7 months. That's using it twice daily, I notice the house goes through more toothpaste when it's being shared, duh!

I was surprised with a new toothpaste out of the blue, Ultra DEX Low Abrasion toothpaste* . I loved how this toothpaste was sent to me, the way it was presented how you wouldn't use sandpaper on your skin so why use something so abrasive like some toothpastes on your teeth, the press release came on sandpaper! (truth be told, at first I thought they had ran out of paper lol)being I do have sensitive teeth, I do like things that are more gentle and not so harsh, here's some key points about this toothpaste:

• Vegan
• Made in Britain
• Clinically proven to whiten teeth in 14 days
• Clinically proven to prevent bad breath
• Anti-bacterial action
• Low abrasion
• Non foaming
• 100% Free from SLS
• Suitable for Sensitive teeth

Above there are some points that I really like an win me over, vegan, home-made, low abrasion, sensitive teeth, free from SLS. Do we think about that when it comes to our toothpaste as much as we do with our skincare? A lot of us are so SLS negative but purchase a lot of brands that contain it for our teeth. I noticed that my teeth got a little bit brighter but it wasn't as bright as I hoped if honest. My top teeth become visible before the bottom. When brushing, there is no foaming, you have the toothpaste, mix in lightly with your saliva and water. The scent from the mouth after cleaning isn't a strong, mint taste I am use too, quite mild until I continue with the mouthwash. There's a no fluorodine version available. Definitely on the purchase list!

Colgate Max White One* in one week this should give you whiter teeth, if you brush 3x a day instead of 2x since swapping nearly a month ago, I cannot see much of a difference unfortunately. My bottom tooth, yes just one has changed, sounds crazy huh. My breath smells fresher before mouthwash, the mint taste is very noticeable, more peppermint. It has visible whitening crystals that are aimed to get rid of the stains on your teeth. I would of thought maybe it's too harsh for my teeth being that I know they are quite sensitive but it's surprisingly mild. I'm not sure if I would buy this but I will continue to use until finish and see if there's any other change.

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Mouthwash

After the flossing, brushing and rinsing, it's onto swooshing the mouth with some good 'ol mouthwash. Oh as a child I hated this part, most times cos I would end up drinking some of it. Dentyl Active has been a favourite of mine and really the only one I will purchase, probably cos the big kid in me wants to see how well I did floss & brush, will I see all that my toothbrush didn't reach in my bathroom sink? It's the only mouthwash I've had that actually does what it says and that's why I'm always repurchasing it and it's a fun game & ego builder, champion teeth washer.

Colgate Plax Complete Care, alcohol free, sensitive mouthwash* first time using this Colgate mouthwash, others can be quite strong that the side of my mouth and gums burn, this doesn't do this so it lives up to the sensitivity part. I find that my mouth can still feel fresh for the majority of the day even after a meal and a few snacks. Previously I've had mouthwash that feel they coat my teeth after swooshing and gargling and I automatically get turned off. I must admit I don't mind how this makes my teeth feel but I guess the great test with all of this is, what will my dentist say?

Let me know what's your favourite products to clean yo' mouth with below?!

*pr samples
I'm no evil dentist or even a good dentist, point blank period..I'm not one, just sharing my views on my oral hygiene routine + did anyone's dentist give them lollipops, they must of been sugar free!