We already know that not all toothbrushes are created equal. However, we recently learnt that not all kinds of brushing are equal, too. This we discovered while reviewing the ION-Sei, an electric toothbrush that cleans your teeth with vibrations... and light. Kinda. Confused? So were we.
When we first unboxed the ION-Sei, it reminded us of the Uber Sonic Toothbrush. Unlike oscillating toothbrush heads, that you might expect to find on electric toothbrushes, the head of the ION-Sei is fixed. Instead, the whole brush vibrates when you switch it on, and those vibrations travel along the head and into your gob, literally shaking off the plaque from your teeth. But there's more.
You see, the ION-Sei toothbrush is complicated. There is some real science going on here; science that mostly went straight over our heads. Usually the only thing we like going over our heads are drones and hoodies, so allow us to (try to) explain what the crack is here.
The ION-Sei features a UV light embedded in the minimalist handle. This shines a weak blue light that seems to 'bounce' along a titanium dioxide bar in the head. It glows, basically, and this UV light therefore shines into your mouth as you brush.
Why? Well, it's all due to photocatalysis. Your teeth, you see, have a negative electrical charge. As does bacteria. Your saliva, however, is positive. This means that saliva actively helps plaque and bacteria stick to your teeth, which over time will cause decay. The UV light of the ION-Sei showers your teeth with a negative charge, and therefore displaces the bacteria and makes it harder for it to stick. Wow. Mind blown.
The company claim that, because of this cleverness, you don't actually need to use toothpaste when brushing with their brush, which completely blew our minds. Even the most advanced (and expensive) of toothbrush makers always recommend using toothpaste with their brushes, so these are mad-hot bold claims.
One of our number has been using the ION-Sei toothbrush for a month now, and he has actually noticed a difference. Initially he followed the the recommendation of not using toothpaste, but chickened out after a week. The good thing is that you can do both. The science might stand up in terms of the bacterial fight, but you just can't beat that minty fresh sensation in the morning. Plus, we tend to use whitening toothpaste. Coz vanity.
After a month, however, all reports are good. Very good, in fact. Just 30 days might not be enough to test the true effectiveness of the science, but we can certainly back up the theory. The sonic vibrations, the interchangeable heads (it comes with two), and the USB conductive charging, make this an excellent bathroom buddy.
The ION-Sei is the kind of gadget that it's easy to forget about after your initial excited first week. But, we're hoping at least, after a year or so of daily use, a big difference will be noticed. Check back here to find out.
£129.99
Available from www.amazon.co.uk