ModernGear Family: Dental and mental health - Oral-B's new packaging

Wind Up Smile Teeth from Rhode Island novelty

In things dental-related, I don’t really have any allegiances – as with most things in life, I like to be adventurous and willing to experiment.

For instance, I had long been a Crest toothpaste girl, taught that this was the best paste money could buy, by our family dentist Uncle Boris...but I recently discovered Tom's of Maine fennel toothpaste. A lovely concoction that tastes licorice-y and leaves breath fresh with an exotic flavour, I opt for Tom's when I want a little treat between tubes of Crest. It's pretty costly so this is a once-in-a-while indulgence. (I wouldn't recommend trying Trader Joe’s attempt at fennel – it actually makes me gag…)

The price at Amazon is for 6 tubes...

And I have, til now, been less than partial to any one toothbrush. A free soft-bristled brush from the dentist, a big-enough-for-an-alligator’s-smile brush at a hotel when I had forgotten mine, whatever – I always thought that they all got the job done the same. All that changed last night, because after buying and using a particular brushing implement, I now have an opinion on such things.

Oral-B's CrossAction® toothbrush will henceforth be known as my toothbrush of choice, but the feature that really knocked my socks off and sealed its fate as the toothbrush I will always reach for has nothing to do with the actual brush itself...it's the packaging.



How many times have you bought a product - a razor, for instance, or a cell phone charger...and been absolutely confounded with it at home? Not because you didn't know how to use it, but because of the seemingly impenetrable plastic packaging.

We’ve all had the same experience. After what seems like hours of twisting and turning, cursing and cutting yourself when you've worked your finger into a tiny crevice with sharp edges, you then resort to stabbing it with the sharpest tool in your household, sometimes damaging the actual product itself in the process.

The small print on the back of the toothbrush package read, "TWIST OPEN. Grab package by opposite ends and twist." Curiosity piqued, I bought two (one for me, one for ModernGear TV Husband). At home I cautiously followed the instructions, and quickly became a convert. I had to open the second one because this was such an enjoyable task.

Its crisscross® bristles provide a really nice gum massage, and the fat handle ensures I will get a good grip on my dental health, but getting to enjoy those features without facing plastic that would be like Kryptonite to Superman, is the best part. After all, mental health is just as important as dental health.