Adopting an electric toothbrush

[mtbc]

I have receding gums. Apparently there is not much to be done, it is one of the many joys of becoming elderly. During my latest checkup my dentist held the mirror so as to show me the exposed roots of my teeth. Given how they are not protected by enamel he prescribed me some special kind of toothpaste and bade me switch to using an electric toothbrush.

At first the electric toothbrush seemed distractingly tickly but that has been easy to get used to. One discovery is that my usual brushing routine must last over four minutes as the electric toothbrush claims to cut out after two by which point I am barely halfway. It also cuts out if I apply too much pressure which is one feature my dentist was favoring. After I am done my teeth do feel a little cleaner than they did with a manual toothbrush.

The electric toothbrush's manual is an entertaining mix of actual attempts at usage instructions whose English feels unnatural combined with lawyerly exhortations not to do this nor that. There are the usual warnings like not to use the toothbrush if it is not working properly, while sleeping, etc. In this case the legal parts sit awkwardly next to the regular usage instructions. For example, for usage,

To keep the battery fully charged, we recommend that you keep the toothbrush in the charger when not in use.

Yet,

Do not leave appliance when plugged in.

Comments

[muninnhuginn]

The technical writer sighs at the conflicting instructions.

Meanwhile, as a somewhat sensitive person, I can't stand the sound of my better half's electric toothbrush from a room away.

[mtbc]

Argh, sorry to hear that: my better half suffers a fairly classic presentation of misophonia, luckily not (yet) toothbrush-triggered but even without that aspect it already seems miserable enough!

[emperor]

I've used an electric toothbrush for a while (it tells me after ever 30s, so I can do each quarter of my mouth equally); I do think it's more effective than a manual one.