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Being a health writer has its ups and downs, for sure. On the one hand, I am the person everyone texts late into the night with a weird health concern, only to tell them I am not a doctor. On the plus side, I have been able to test some really cool, cutting-edge wellness and health products like a robot that brushes your teeth, a TENS unit for period cramps, super soft recovery shoes, a robot vacuum, quite a few sex toys (from my sex writer era), and a surprising amount of electric toothbrushes.
I can’t write about everything I try because some things just don’t live up to their advertising or aren’t super different from existing products on the market. This has often been the case with electric toothbrushes that I’ve been able to test. I’ve tried so many, and none have really stood out from the pack. That is, until I was sent the Mode Electric Toothbrush ($150 with a subscription for refillable brush heads, $165 as a one-off purchase).
I have to admit that I was skeptical of the sleek, waterproof toothbrush. It was pitched to me as the Apple of electric toothbrushes, which is a pretty high bar for any product to meet. However, as soon as I tried it, I realized it was more like the Mercedes-Benz of the category: chic, luxurious, and well-designed.
Mode Electric Toothbrush
1. It’s cordless
If there’s anything unsexy about an electric toothbrush, it has to be the cord. It’s a tale as old as time: You get a new toothbrush, and suddenly you have to part ways with half of your available outlets in your bathroom in order to charge it, not to mention wrangling the cord itself so it doesn’t get wet. Enter stage left: Mode. It cordlessly attaches to a simple, small magnetic plug-in dock. The small circular dock has a ring around its backside that doubles as a soft, warm night light. No cords required. (You can also rotate the dock to better fit with your space.)
The best part? Mode holds a charge for up to 30 days. I haven’t needed to charge mine yet and I’ve been using it every day for a few weeks. The long battery life means you don’t have to sign away the rights to one of your bathroom outlets indefinitely. My Mode dock lives peacefully and stylishly in a drawer, waiting for the day my brush actually needs to be charged.
2. It’s easy to use
The aptly named toothbrush is super advanced and yet very simple: it has one mode. The slim button turns the toothbrush on, where it will run for two minutes, buzzing at 30-second intervals until it automatically shuts off. This has made my life a lot easier because I honestly am not good at gauging how long two minutes really is.
Other toothbrush models have a bunch of different settings, but that’s not entirely necessary. The American Dental Association recommends you brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day, using a soft-bristled toothbrush (electric or old-fashioned suffices).
3. It’s powerful yet soft
My first few seconds with Mode were somewhat humorous. I turned on the brush and went to work on my teeth. I could barely use it at first because it was so powerful it tickled. Not the soft bristles, but the vibrations would hit my inner cheek, and I would get goosebumps! I quickly got the hang of it, though, and have come to really appreciate the intensity of the vibrations.
This is apparently the sign of a good toothbrush, per Rob Raimondi, DDS, prosthodontist, and co-founder of One Manhattan Dental. “A good electric toothbrush will brush your teeth without you having to do any brushing,” he says. “You should be able to just hold the brush near your teeth and let the magic happen.”
I think part of the reason why it’s bearable and not downright uncomfortable is because the bristle head on this toothbrush is so, so soft. I feel it buzz about my teeth and dislodge so much debris while it goes to work. When I’m done, though, I’m not left with bleeding gums or a mouth that feels scrubbed raw.
In short, this toothbrush has nearly everything I could possibly want from a brush to ensure that I’m preventing plaque buildup and cavities. The only thing it’s missing: a pressure sensor, which Dr. Raimondi says can help protect your teeth and gums from brushing too hard. However, I don’t find myself wishing for one.
The only other downside with this brush is the price tag: At $150 ($165, if you opt out of the replacement heads subscription), it’s a hefty chunk of change to put down for a toothbrush. But out of the dozens and dozens that I’ve tried, this one is definitely the best. If anything ever happened to my sample, I don’t think I’d hesitate to replace it.
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