No matter what you’re wearing, a brilliant smile is the best accessory, which is why I’m always on the lookout for new dental care products.  I’ve written before about my Sonicare toothbrush.  While I love it, though, it’s not for everyone.  It’s a bit of an investment, and because you must periodically purchase replacement brush heads for it, there’s an ongoing expense.

So I was excited to review the Colgate 360 ActiFlex SonicPower Toothbrush and hoped that it might offer some of the same power-brushing benefits in disposable brush price range.  Here’s the claim:

The Colgate 360 ActiFlex SonicPower Toothbrush is the first powered toothbrush with a cheek and tongue cleaner.  [It] has Sonic Vibrations for a cleaning power of 20,000 strokes per minute, helping to remove more plaque and bacteria for a whole mouth clean… The new brush head technology, combined with sonic cleaning power and a flexible bridge that moves as you brush to clean in all directions, delivers a healthier whole mouth clean.

A couple of things to note about the SonicPower:

• It comes equipped with its own battery, so I believe you simply use the brush until that battery dies (or until it’s time for a new toothbrush– whichever comes first) and then replace the whole thing.
• When using a sonic-powered, “electric” toothbrush, you hold the unit steady against your teeth, and the vibrations actually do the work for you.  In the Colgate SonicPower, however, you brush your teeth like normal, and the vibrations act more like an enhancement to that brushing.
• The brush head seemed large to me, but I’m used to something much smaller.  The bristles also seemed a little stiff, but they softened up pretty comfortably with use.
• The flexible bridge does move, but it’s not bendy at all.  Generally speaking, though, it offers a good amount of flexibility so that I had no trouble getting my teeth from all sides.

Overall, I’m giving this product a thumbs-up.  Yes, a full-powered Sonicare toothbrush provides a better clean, but for less than $6.00, this is a very good alternative. The brush head and bristles are too large to provide the most precise cleaning, but the vibrations definitely seem to provide extra oomph.  Basically, it’s a big step up from a traditional toothbrush without a huge jump in price.  If you want an “electric” style clean but don’t want to invest the money in a Sonicare, definitely give it a try.  Or if you use a Sonicare at home but want something for your office or quick travel, I think you’ll be happy with this.

And a quick word about the toothpaste I received with this product, Colgate Total Advanced Whitening.  I’m sure I have used this product before, but it must’ve been a while because I was surprised by how much I liked it.  It left my teeth feeling so clean and fresh with no weird, flavored aftertaste.  According to Colgate, the Colgate Total line of products is the “best-selling toothpaste variant and the #1 toothpaste recommended most often and used by dentists and hygienists.” I can see why!  It’s my toothpaste of choice from now on.

The Colgate 360 ActiFlex SonicPower Toothbrush and Colgate Total Advanced Whitening toothpaste are available at mass retailers and drugstores nationwide.

Fashionable Media Review Policy:  The featured product was provided to me, at no cost, by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing and review.  Opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by compensation, monetary or otherwise.