GROOM IT
What gets a kid to brush? A song
October 5, 2009
Robert Cribb
STAFF REPORTER
Five year olds instinctively master an oral care technique called the 29-second brushing. They insert bristles into mouth, do a couple of quick swirls around the molars and head for a rinse.
Half a minute appears to be the outer limits of their attention span when it comes to tooth maintenance. Tough to blame them, really.
For them, tooth brushing holds all the intrigue of an episode of CSI.
And so, welcome to a more entertaining take on pearly white scrubbing for the pre-teen set. Philips' Sonicare for Kids is a miniaturized, toddler version of the sophisticated electric toothbrush adults have been using for years. Only it plays songs and looks funny. And, according to product claims, removes up to 75 per cent more plaque than a kid's manual toothbrush.
The rechargeable brush, designed for kids aged 4 to 10, fits nicely in their little Ewok-hands, and gives them a series of sing-songy chirps that guide them through a full two-minute brushing.
Unlike the standard, battery-powered drug store brushes, the Sonicare's timer emanates a musical tone every 30 seconds signalling it's time to move to another section of the mouth.
This simple addition of digitally-imposed anticipation sent my five-year-old girl into fits of laughter for reasons beyond adult comprehension.
Regardless, it seems to work.
She awaits the audible instructions and responds accordingly as her teeth get a through wipe down for perhaps the first time ever.
At the two minute mark, a final cheery song serves as congratulatory reward.
"Can I do it again?" my girly asked excitedly after her inaugural brush.
Unprecedented.
That's a quadrupling of brush-in-mouth time. Instantly.
But this kind of transformation doesn't come cheap. The Sonicare rings in at $70.
According to my girly, worth every penny.
Then again, she thinks a Malibu Barbie is worth $1.6 million dollars.
rcribb@thestar.ca
Toronto Star
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